Minden St. Jude Fire Company No. 1

This past weekend I had the chance to experience first hand behind the scenes of a charitable telethon. I totally admire all the work and volunteers that it takes to succeed in this endeavor. Minden, Louisiana has sponsored the St Jude’s Children’s Auction on Super Bowl Weekend for the past 36 years. I am told they raise more money than any other town in the United States in those four days for St Jude Children’s Hospital. Last year they raised over $850,000 and this year their goal is to top $1,000,000.

St. Jude Firehouse Double Door

Back during the summer, I was approached about furnishing children’s furniture for an ‘Olde Fire House Playhouse’ that was being built by the Minden Fire Department to be auctioned off during the St Jude Auction. The playhouse is electric on the inside, with a safety plug on the outside, allowing the homeowner to plug it in on their property. This awesome child size fire station comes completely wrapped in beautiful barn red with white vinyl siding with grey accents, including shutters on the 3 operating windows. The double front door allows a child-size vehicle to be driven inside with a side door for entering in and out. There are 2 outside lights with a pewter finish, vinyl wood flooring, and finished walls on the inside. A black metal ladder inside leads to the upper floor, where a stainless steel fire pole allows children to slide down the pole to the lower floor, landing on real fire hose wrapped around the bottom of the fire pole for a cushioned landing. Local artist, Vicki James, painted the inside with beautiful fire department themed paintings including an American Flag, Firemen bunker gear (jackets, pants, boots), children playing with nozzles, a

Babyiture Owners, Patricia and Edward Steele inside the St. Jude Firehouse Playhouse

Dalmatian dog, fire hydrants and nozzles, and much more. No firehouse is complete without a beautiful brass fire bell with lanyard for the children to ring. On the outside of the house, children will find a specially made real fire hose and nozzle to use to play firefighter!

Kidkraft's Fire Truck Toddler Bed & Fire Hydrant Table

To keep with the firehouse theme, I furnished the playhouse with durable, quality pieces from Kidkraft and Levels of Discovery. Kidkraft graciously donated the Fire Truck Toddler Bed, Firehouse Bookcase, and Fire Hydrant Toddler Table made of wood and sturdy construction. The toddler bed uses a crib mattress that is covered with a custom embroidered sheet. The side table has a drawer for storing important items and a shelf underneath. Levels of Discovery donated the Firefighter Rocker featuring cutout detail around a fire truck on the seat back and fire hydrant finials and ladder design arms. Babyiture furnished the Firefighter Table and Stools and the Firefighter Toy Chest and Bench Seat to help accessorize the playhouse. The Firefighter Table and 2 Stools

Levels of Discovery Firefighter Table and Stools

Levels of Discovery Firefighter Toy Chest with Bench Seat Seating

features a Firehouse storage box with working bell sitting in the middle of the table. The Firefighter Toy Chest with Bench Seat has a unique design with hydrant finials, a working bell and ladder design arms and a large sliding door opens for fire trucks and other vehicles to drive right up the ramp and into the fire station. All the furniture in this 10’ x 13’ playhouse creates a theme room that will keep children in awe for months. This playhouse is so unbelievable that your child may decide to move out of the house before he turns 18!

During Super Bowl Weekend this playhouse is being auctioned off at $10 per ticket. You can purchase your ticket at www.mindenstjude.com. The money goes to a great cause that has helped children from all over the country fight cancer. St Jude Children’s Research Hospital operates from donations from you and me.

Mom Putting Baby In Crib

As I watch the grandchildren play with their toys, I think about the changes in our society through the years. The changes have even affected our children. You can hand a child a simple toy, and they look at it, waiting for it to do something. Many times they don’t know how to be creative with it. Where is the button to push, or slide? Is it remote control? Is it a video? Our society has become so high tech, I knew that one day it would happen. We have remote control beds for adults. There is now a remote control bed for babies. Yes, really!  Of course, the parent works the remote. I guess you could say the remote is for the parent and the bed is for the baby!!!

4-in-1 Wonder Crib

Dream on Me has a Patent Pending for a next generation of crib unmatched by anything in the market to date.  The Wonder Crib is the first electronic crib, designed to move the crib mattress smoothly and gently up and down with the ability to stop the mattress height at any desired level. For those Fathers that like to play with gadgets, I can see one of you working the remote, while the bed goes up and down, up and down…..

Most cribs have a maximum of 4 mattress height adjustments that require a manual and labor intensive process to change. The Wonder Crib mattress height can be moved electronically to any desired height. You can leave your child safely in the crib while raising and lowering the crib. Simply press the two buttons as per instructions, located on the side of the crib and move the mattress to desired height.

Wonder Crib Buttons

(At least there is not a remote that could be left in the bed for the baby to play with by mistake.) This allows for easy access for lifting baby, saving your back from injury. With stationary rail cribs mandatory, this crib takes the strain out of reaching deep inside the crib to lift your baby.  This sounds perfect for those of us that are short in stature.  Reaching over the rail was one issue, but trying to reach to the mattress level to reach the baby was another issue altogether.  I had to get a stool to stand on to reach inside the crib for the baby.  I was extremely thankful when he learned to stand up and reach up to me!! This new Wonder Crib solves this particular problem.  Just push the button, raise the mattress up until you can easily remove the baby.  Oh, thank you Dream on Me.

3-in-1 Wonder Crib

Another advantage of the electronic mattress adjustment makes changing sheets easy and effortless. Also, raising the mattress up to the highest level transforms the Wonder Crib into a changing table. This feature saves you the space of adding a changing table. It doesn’t stop there! The Wonder Crib 3-in-1 converts to a toddler bed with safety rail

included.  The Wonder Crib 4-in-1 converts from crib to toddler day bed to a full size bed (bedrails and mattress sold separately).  By purchasing a convertible crib, it saves you time and money of purchasing all of these items separately.

Wonder Crib Full Bed3-in-1 Wonder Crib in Black

The Wonder Crib uses a 12- volt converter and safely plugs into any 110 outlet.  Made of Pinewood, the Lead-Free, Wonder Crib comes in 6 non-toxic finishes to match any décor.
It takes a standard crib mattress that is sold separately. ASTM and JPMA Certified.
Patent Pending

The Wonder Crib will definitely be the crib of the future. It is designed for today’s nurseries. With the six available colors, it will go with any nursery theme you plan.

My Newest Grandson

When my daughter informed me that she was pregnant with my sixth grandchild, I wasn’t sure I was ready for another grandchild at this time. After all, Miley at only two and a half  keeps us pretty busy. Miley has outgrown the baby stage and entered that toddler stage where she talks nonstop. She rarely snuggles with me anymore, much less just sit in my lap for no reason. I almost have to bribe her for a little cuddle time!!!……… Now that I think about it, maybe a new baby to sleep on my shoulder sounds like an excellent idea. As Miley outgrew her baby items, we gave them away; therefore , I’ve got to replenish the few items that need to stay at Grammy’s house. Especially since I will be keeping him at Grammy’s Day Camp while his mother goes back to work. Oh my, what will I need?

With my older grandchildren, we carried around the pack n’ plays, taking the time to set them up. The only problem was when their parents needed them, then we had to pack it up for them to take it somewhere else. I decided this time I was going to try the new 3-in-1 Folding Portable Mini Crib by Dream on Me.

3-in-1 Portable Mini Crib

The Dream On Me, 3-in-1, Folding, Portable Crib is the only 3 level portable crib available. The U.S. patented rail design easily converts crib to a changing station or playpen in seconds. Easy to assemble, one hand folding for flat, compact storage.  Features include stationary (non drop side) rail system which provides the utmost in product safety and dual hooded, locking wheels. Made of Birch wood and available in 6 Non toxic finishes. A 1″ Mattress pad and all tools for easy assembly included. It is JPMA certified.  This Crib is approved for use in the United States.  Dimensions are  41 x 26 x 40 with a  Weight of 32 lbs. It will hold a baby weight limit upto 35 lbs.

With the crib, I’ll need baby bedding for it. Oh, there are so many choices to choose from. I think I’m going to pick the Cowboy Baby 4-Piece Crib Set by Trend Lab. Your Cowboy Baby will love sleeping with his pony, boots, and hat! Trend Lab’s Cowboy Baby 4 Piece Crib Bedding Set features fabulous embroidered cowboy motif appliqués that are mixed with a delightful scatter print.

Cowboy Baby Crib Set

The quilt is framed with a chocolate based blue and tan bandana print, and accented with a classic blue and chocolate pinstripe. The scatter print color accents include chocolate brown, desert tan, and dashes of burnt orange. A soft rope-like trim adds western detail to the quilt and bumper. The brilliant mixture of soft cotton fabrics combined with cuddly velour help your little Cowboy Baby sleep soundly through the night. The quilt measures 35” x 45” and features cowboy themed embroidered appliqués set against soft caramel velour and dusk blue cotton. Patches of a bold chocolate bandana print, cowboy themed scatter print and classic stripe and motif appliqués mixed with bold bandana, plaid and motif prints in blues, browns and tans with splashes of burnt orange. Soft tan velour and classic blue pinstripe cotton twill add great texture and dimension. Rope trimmed four piece bumper set features embroidered pony and lasso appliqué mixed with cowboy motif and bandana prints. Box pleat crib skirt with 15” drop features awesome bandana print and classic pinstripe in blue and chocolate brown. Fitted crib sheet in lovely blue cotton features deluxe 10” deep pockets with sturdy elastic surrounding the entire opening for a more secure fit.

Cow Lovie

I think all babies need a Lovie to snuggle with in the crib or their car seat or wherever they are sleeping. The Cow Jumped Over the Moon Gift Set by Baby Aspen is a cuddly soft cow-print lovie with an adorable, plush cow’s head in the middle and satiny white trim around the edge. The Cow Lovie measures 17” square and is machine washable. It is the perfect size for a baby to hold onto and oh so soft. The keepsake gift box is crescent moon-shaped and is cream-colored with pastel accents that tell the beloved nursery rhyme around the base of the box, with the lovable lovie’s plush cow head popping through the lid. The gift box measures approximately 6” h x 12” w x 8” d. This makes a nice gift if your looking for a unique baby  shower gift.

What else will I need? I know I will need an assortment of baby blankets and Cowboy Baby 5-Piece Burp Cloth Gift Set. The Burp Cloth Set includes four burp cloths in a zippered dirty duds pouch. Each burp cloth measures 10″W x 13″H. The pouch measures 10″W x 8″H x 2″ D. I believe the musical mobile that plays the Brahms’ Lullaby makes a great addition to the crib.

Cowboy Baby Musical Mobile

There just happens that one matches the crib set, the Cowboy Baby Musical Mobile, with ponies rotating around to the sound of the music. This provides great eye tracking and sound perception skills. Another baby accessory available in the Cowboy Baby pattern, we definitely can’t do without. The Cowboy Baby Diaper Caddy stores diapers, wipes, and all the necessary baby supplies.  This lightly padded caddy features a cowboy themed scatter print in chocolate, dusk blue, cream and desert sand with touches of burnt orange and caramel on a powder blue background throughout the outside with a coordinating bandana print inside and is finished with a brown ultrasuede trim. Caddy has 8 outer pockets and a removable “T” separator for maximum versatility. Keep diapers, wipes and other necessities tidy while traveling from room to room. Measures 13” x 9” x 7”.

Cowboy Baby Diaper Caddy

I think I have the basics to keep at my home. All I need now is my precious grandson. His mother has volunteered to bring his formula, diapers, and car seat with a change of clothes when she brings him to us tomorrow. What more do I need, but time to hold, rock, love, enjoy, spoil and feed the youngest of my grandchildren. I’m ready.

When I was a little girl, my grandparents would come for the night on Christmas Eve. My mother would spend all day cooking a wonderful Christmas Eve meal for the family. My brother and I could hardly remember eating because of our anticipation of what came after we finished eating. We usually ate early in the evening with everyone pitching in to help clean up afterwards. Finally, we would gather around the tree, and pass out our Christmas gifts to be slowly opened one at a time. Santa delivered his gifts during the night. So everyone had to be in bed early. Not only did we rise early for Santa on Christmas morning, but we had  another custom our family followed every year. Christmas morning we left for the deer lease for a week of hiking, camping, and family time together. These are some of the best family memories I have from those oh so many years ago.

After I married,  it took several years before another tradition was formed. By this time, I had my first child. On Christmas Eve my parents and my brother and his family came to my house for dinner. Only instead of doing all the cooking like my mother, everyone pitched in and brought part of the meal. And just like in the past, we exchanged Christmas presents with each other. Of course, Christmas morning, my daughter eagerly awoke to find Santa’s arrival. Later in the day, we would go to my husband’s family to spend Christmas Day with them.

Now that I am the grandparent, time has changed again. This year for the second time, we are going to my daughter’s home. There is one small problem in that her husband has to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day because he is a police officer; therefore, we are going to celebrate on the 23rd. Kristy and Joey have 2 children. My other daughter, Kourtney and Jerrod, will be there with their six children of which one is only one week old on that day. Kristy is continuing the tradition of cooking the majority of our Christmas dinner with everyone else bringing the extra dishes. After our wonderful dinner, our beautiful grandchildren will be rushing us all to sit around the tree to begin ‘playing Santa Claus’ by passing out all the gifts, which the grandchildren will open one at a time as we watch. The only difference is that they will have to wait for Christmas Eve for Santa Claus!

On the 24th I’m taking my mother to my brother’s home for dinner and gift exchange with him. We use to do it together until my family began to grow. Our other daughter, Missy and Bill and 2 grandsons, had Christmas with us early because she has gone to San Diego to her in-laws. This will be the first 24th and 25th that I am not with any of my grandchildren for one reason or another. I guess I have just entered a new era in my life of possibly visiting the local movie theater on Christmas Day!!!

The basic piece of furniture in a child’s room is his bed. Some times we do not have a choice in the bed that we will use. The number one priority in planning the decor of the room is to start with a colorful, fun stylish bedspread that your child likes and will enjoy for several years to come. From this you can choose the color palette for the walls and accessories around the room. Make the color cheerful and bright. You might try painting one wall as an accent wall different from the other walls.

Choosing the accessories to match might be a little harder to do. You could choose to have some custom hand painted tables and chairs to match the bedding. For example, on Overstock.com the bedding Gardner’s Friend was bought for a little girl’s room.

Babyiture custom painted a table and chair set to match the bedspread, using Laura Ashley paints and an Aspen Table from Kidkraft. Our Gardner’s Friend Table and Chair Set is an all wooden table with two chairs for toddlers ages 1 to 5. The table has been custom hand painted to coordinate with the Gardener’s Friend Bedding Set. The table has been painted in Laura Ashley Paint colors Cool Caribbean, Deep Pink 4, and Apple 4.This table is the perfect size for tea parties with baby and friends, or coloring, arts and crafts, or a having a snack with friends. The table is very sturdy.

• Gardner’s Table and 2 Chair Set
• Table: 24” x 24” x 19”H
• Chair: 11.5” x 11.75” x 21.5” (seat: 12”H)
• Ages 1 to 5
• Wooden

Another custom creation by Babyiture is a Five Little Monkeys Table, Bench, & 2 Chairs to coordinate with the Nursery Bedding from Sears, M is For Monkey Crib Bedding.

Five Little Monkeys are playing all around on the chairs of this custom hand painted table with a bench seat and 2 chairs. They then come together on the table for your child to creatively use their mind to think of activities for the five monkeys to get involved in together. All children know the story of The Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed… This table is an extension of that book to develop creative thinking while providing a place to do crafts, color, play with their toys, have tea parties with their baby dolls, or snacks with their friends. It is a solid wood table and chair set that is strongly built.

• Chair: 11.75″L x 11.5″W x 23.25″H
• Bench: 23.62″L x 11.62″W x 23.5″H
• Table: 23.5″L x 31.75″W x 19.62″

  

  Five Little MonkeyA

Another example of a custom painted furniture piece is a Limited Edition Toy Box by Kidkraft that has been painted with construction vehicles. Jack seems to love his construction vehicles; therefore, his mother was trying to create a room of excitement for him. Babyiture painted this toy box for him.

Limited Edition Construction Zone

On the top of the toy chest is a road around the construction site for Jack to play with his little ‘zoomers’. In the construction site is a dump truck with a back hoe working a pile of dirt. On the front of the toy box is a cement truck and grader, while on one side is a crane, and on the other side is a front end loader. Jack has plenty of construction vehicles to dream about as he plays in his room. Our Limited Edition Toy Chest keeps rooms tidy with style. This chest would be a great addition to any kid’s room. Convenient storage. Doubles as a bench for extra seating . Flip-top lid has safety hinge to protect young fingers from getting pinched. Available in white, black, natural, cherry and honey. Made of wood and sturdy construction.

By personalizing your child’s room with furniture that he likes and recognizes as something special just for him, he will be proud of his room. This will give him the opportunity to learn responsibility for learning to clean up his room after playtime, with a little support from you. Even toddlers can  begin to learn a clean up song to sing as you guide them to clean up their rooms,  then make a big deal about how nice the room looks after everything is back in its proper place. Because this room was designed just for him, it is his to show off.

When my first child was born, I didn’t have a choice as to the type of diapers I was going to use. There was only one kind, CLOTH DIAPERS.  Therefore, I had to make sure I had the diaper pail, at least two dozen pre-folded cloth diapers, plastic diaper covers, and bleach for the diaper pail.  Now, the hardest job was folding the diaper small enough to fit a five-pound baby. The nastiest job was trying to clean it out in the toilet! And invariably, it didn’t matter whether I had on the rubber pants or not, they leaked and her clothes became wet. On about the third day, I hurt my back lifting the diaper pail to pour out the water to wash the dirty diapers. When Huggies came out with the first disposal diapers, I jumped at the chance to try them out, never looking back. The cloth diapers became burp cloths and the diaper pail went to the garage. When my next child came around, there was never a decision to be made, disposable diapers was the only decision!

Twenty years later, I find cloth diapers have returned for several reasons:

Why Choose Cloth Diapers

• Most parents go through 6 to 8 thousand diapers per child, from birth to about age three. If we take an average of what those diapers cost, that equals to between 2000 and 3000 dollars per baby. Once those children are potty trained those diapers and money have disappeared. In comparison, enough cloth diapers to last for three years will usually cost between 3 to 8 hundred dollars.
• What should be of serious concern to all parents are the toxic chemicals present in disposable diapers. Dioxin, which in various forms has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, skin diseases, and genetic damage, is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in manufacturing disposable diapers.
• And least 18 BILLION disposal diapers a year, just in the U.S., require thousands of tons of plastic and hundreds of thousands of trees to manufacture. After a few hours of active service, these used diapers are trucked away to landfills, where they sit for several hundred years containing raw untreated sewage. They are the third largest single product in the waste stream behind newspapers and beverage containers.
• Disposable Diapers have been linked to asthma related symptoms according to October, 1999, issue of the Archives of Environmental Health. Dr. Rosalind C. Anderson, lead author of the report, “Acute Respiratory Effects of Diaper Emissions,” explains that the diapers were tested right out of the package, and one at a time. Even in a mid-sized room, the emissions from one diaper were high enough to produce asthma-like symptoms.
• The increased use of single-use diapers may explain the increase in male infertility over the past 25 years, suggests a study in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. The research shows that single-use diapers lined with plastic significantly increase the temperature of the scrotum when compared to the scrotal temperature of boys using cloth diapers. Temperature is critical to normal testicular development and sperm health.

I was genuinely surprised with the new diapering systems that are available today. I became confused with all the different types of cloth diapering at first and all the different terminology. As I focused in on the various types, they became easier to remember as I learned a little about each one. With the many cloth diapers available today it is disconcerting to try and fine one particular style that best fits your needs, but the good news is YOU DON’T HAVE TO! That’s right, each style has its strengths and weaknesses, making it perfect for some babies and diapering situations, but not so great for another situation. First, there are the cloth diapers that don’t use covers, because they are built into the diaper:

• One Size Diapering are new cloth diapers that are said to work through birth to toddler, a diaper that fits all stages of cloth diapering. Since you are buying a diaper only once, you could save a lot of money. They don’t need a cover, it is built into the diaper.
• My favorite one is the AIO, or All In One Cloth Diaper, which is exactly as it says. AIO cloth diapers are shaped very much like disposable diapers with an hourglass shape and elastic in the legs and waist to keep messes inside. All-in-one cloth diapers consist a waterproof outer, an absorbent soaker, and a one-piece inner. They close with snaps or a hook and loop system similar to Velcro. Everything you need is right there. They come in assorted colors and sizes to fit newborns to three year olds. There are two types of AIO: True and Quick Dry. AIOs are one-piece diapers that do not need a cover. This makes them one of the most simple types of cloth diapers.
• AI2 Cloth Diapers are similar to AIOs except that the soaker in an AI2 is separate from the diaper body. Usually AI2 soaker is snapped to the diaper body, but it may be laid or sewn in also. AI2s do not need a cover because the diaper body has a waterproof outer layer. One advantage to AI2 cloth diapers is that the body and soaker separate for thorough cleaning and quick drying. Another advantage is that the soaker can be replaced if it wears out before the diaper body.
• Pocket Diapers refers to a diaper cover that has a pocket for either a cloth diaper or terrycloth insert. They are waterproof so clothes do not get wet, however you can only use them once before you have to wash them.

Then, we have cloth diapers that use covers:

Baby in Cloth Diaper

• A Fitted Diaper is a cloth diaper that usually closes with snaps or velcro. Then a cover is put on top of it. You have the choice of different covers but will not have to worry about using pins.
• Contour diapers are cloth diapers that are shaped to a standard cover so you don’t have to fold them. You could use pull up covers, however then you would have to use pins or something to keep the cloth in place.
• Probably one of the cheapest options when it comes to diapering your baby is using Prefold Diapers. They consist of a rectangular cotton cloth that you fold to make an hourglass shape to fit in covers. If you use pull up covers, you will have to use pins or something to keep the cloth in place like a diaper fastener.
• Probably the cheapest option when it comes to diapering your baby is using Flatfolds Cloth Diapers. They consist of a rectangular cotton cloth that you fold, several times, to make an hour glass shape to fit in covers. If you use pull up covers, you will have to use pins or something to keep the cloth in place.

Choosing cloth diapers is much easier when you have an understanding of the cloth diapers and diaper accessories available. After I researched the newest cloth diapers and the reasons for using cloth diapers today, I decided to purchase cloth diaper starter kit for my newest grandson. The only down fall that I see, my daughter will be required to wash diapers; and washing clothes frequently is not on her agenda very often!

Cloth Diaper Kit

Traffic Jam Play Table

At this time of the year most of the children’s product manufacturers are coming out with their new designs and products. I know it is part of the marketing strategy right here before Christmas, to entice us into purchasing the latest, newest thing on the market. And what is worse, many of us with children and grandchildren fall for it! We are always looking for something new, something unique, something different to give our child for his birthday or Christmas; therefore, the toy manufacturers are catering to us.

One of the unique designs that I favor this year is Levels of Discovery’s Princess Activity Desk and Chair. It won’t be available until the end of November, but still in time for Christmas if you get your orders in early. This precious desk coordinates with the Always a Princess Collection with the message written across the top of the desk. The inside of the desk helps encourage children to learn organizational skills by providing roomy storage compartments. The slow-closing metal safety hinge will prevent little fingers from becoming entrapped. Additional storage compartments can be found beneath the chair seat. The space-saving design allows the chair, with the removable padded seat cushion, to slide under the desk when not in use.

Princess Activity Desk

LOD20055 – Desk dimensions: 24″ L x 18″ W x 46″

HTable surface height: 21.5″

Chair dimensions: 15″ L x 15.5″ W x 21″ H

Height of seat: 12″

$224.95

With the mirror on the Activity Desk, it can be used as a work station for a variety of reasons from arts and crafts, homework, coloring, even as a vanity if you needed to. This desk was designed for the child ages 3 to 8. The soft pink, ecru, and purple should blend with many little girl’s bedroom décor.

Because so many children sit on the floor to watch TV or play video games, another product that children will enjoy is Kidkraft’s Adjustable Floor Lounger. These chairs sit flat on the floor but are adjustable at the back and feet—just click it into one of several positons in seconds! The girl’s Lounger is made of hot pink velour fabric with a steel frame and the boy’s has denim fabric. The chairs can be personalized with their names on the slip cover over the back.

Kids Floor Lounger -Girl's Hot Pink Personalized

51.5″L x 20.5″W x 6.3″H

$129.95

They are adjustable at the back and at the front under the knees. These chairs are designed for the older child ages 5 and up.  When not in use these loungers fold in half for easy storage.

Another new product that will be available in November is an Art Table with Paper Roll with Matching Stool by Kidkraft.  This  Art Table with Stool gives budding artists everything they need to create their next masterpiece. Young boys and girls who already like using easels will love getting to draw, paint and color while sitting down on a comfortable stool instead of standing. The solid wood table features a paper roll and three plastic paint cups with lids stored under the tabletop and moved by twisting a knob. Grooves in the table keep pencils, paintbrushes, and other art supplies from rolling off the table. The stool slides under the table to save space when not in use.

Kid's Art Table with Paper Roll and Stool

Ages 5 and up

$139.95

This table has multi-use qualities besides being used as an art table as compared to an easel. It can, also, serve as an activity desk for children.

We have other new products on Babyiture .com available for your children this holiday season. Many are new for the season, but some are our old fashion, original toys children have played with forever. The important thing to remember when buying toys for your child is whether the toy is age appropriate, provides creative educational experiences, and of quality construction.  All of our products on Babyiture fit these criteria; therefore, shop with us for your holiday selections.

This past week I came across an article that surprised me. What is our government coming to? Maryland health officials proposed banning the sale of crib bumper pads for infants starting January 2013, a move that would make Maryland the first state in the nation to block the products from the market. In Maryland, the state’s chief medical examiner has attributed one child asphyxiation case to a crib bumper! Just one! And after two meetings they decide they can’t wait on officials to make the decision that bumper pads are risky. And Chicago became the first city in the U.S. to ban the sale of crib bumper pads. The City Council approved the ordinance, which was introduced after Chicago Tribune investigations suggested bumpers pose a suffocation risk to babies.Please! I can think of a list of ten items that pose a suffocation risk to babies. Are we going to ban babies sleeping with their mothers? Babies wrapped up in blankets? Bumper pads serve as a safety measure to protect tiny arms and legs from becoming entrapped between bars. Now, they are reporting they are a suffocation risk.

Tropical Seas Crib Set

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association maintains that crib bumper pads can help prevent injury when used correctly, and the ordinance which proposes to ban bumpers in the City of Chicago and Maryland could bring unintended consequences if crib bumper pads are not made available to parents and caregivers. I can see parents rolling up blankets to put around the crib or stuffed animals, which is worse! In March of 2011, Innovative Science Solutions (ISS) announced that a thorough review of published scientific studies performed for JPMA revealed no direct evaluation of a relationship between crib bumper pad use and infant death. The Exponent study said “Investigations into sleep environments of infants consistently fail to identify crib bumpers as a unique or separate source of serious injury or death to sleeping infants. Studies focusing efforts on evaluating sleep-related hazards generally, and crib bumpers explicitly, similarly do not find crib bumpers to be a significant risk.” Consequently, the JPMA is urging the State of Maryland to adopt regulations consistent with the use of safe, traditional, non-pillow like crib bumper pads.

Nantucket Pink

Traditional crib bumpers, when used properly, can help prevent limb entrapments and head injuries. Follow these quick tips for the safe use of traditional bumper pads:

• Secure ties to outside of crib
• Keep bumper upright and in position
• Bumper ties no longer than 9″
• Remove bumper when child can sit up unaided or pull to standing position

Crib bedding sets continue to include bumper pads as part of the set. They will protect our precious little ones from bumping their head and poking arms and legs between the bars. Remember to remove the bumper pads when your child begins to pull up to a standing position, because the bumper pad provides an extra step to try to climb out of the crib. Otherwise, the bumper pads add to the complete room décor. At Babyiture.com we offer designer quality crib bedding in many styles and designs for nurseries today.

Max Dot 4 Piece Nursery Set

Boys Playing with the Metropolis Train Set

With the Christmas season fast approaching, I begin to wonder about what to buy my grandchildren. Christmas is the time that I usually buy them toys to play with during the year. Walk through any toy store and you see walls and walls of toys that are loud, toys that require batteries, have flashing lights, or that look like your child’s favorite movie character. Many of the boy’s toys have swords, bayonets, and guns to simulate wartime and violence. But what about those of us who want to raise children with imagination and curiosity? Toys are the tools children use in play; and play is the way they practice growing up. Toys can be divided into several groups, depending on the part of the child it helps to develop.

• Toys for physical or muscle development such as wagons, bikes, or boxes, puzzles, blocks, brooms, and shovels.
• Toys for sensory (touch, sight, sound, taste, smell) development such as water toys, musical instruments, bubbles, play dough and sand toys.
• Toys for make-believe and social development such as dolls, dress-up clothes, cars, trucks, games, and books.
• Toys for creative and intellectual development such as clay, crayons, paints, books, paper, and scissors.

Children need a balance of toys from each of these groups to ensure their whole development. (The Creativity Institute, Inc, 2010) Children need to have direct experience with the world in order to make sense of and learn about it. They learn about people and the world. They learn all these things by playing with toys.

I have been concerned in the past about the number of Chinese toys containing excessive amounts of lead entering the United States. Fortunately, Congress responded with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The three-year-old law did not merely stabilize the CPSC by providing funding to build up the lab capacity and surveillance presence at ports. It increased the agency’s authority to issue civil penalties against those responsible for toxic toys and other dangerous products. And it also required makers of certain products aimed at children to first send those products to independent laboratories for safety testing. Products that are new as of August 14, 2011 will have to comply with the stricter lead standard of 100 parts per million. Older products have to meet only a standard of 300ppm. (U.S. Politics Today, Getting the Lead Out: Protecting Children From Dangerous Toys, September 2, 2011)

Nursery Rhyme Revolving Bookcase

Knowing that CPSC makes sure we have safer toys, I choose toys for my grandchildren by thinking about their ages and interests. Infants are interested in looking at toys, touching them with their hands and mouth, fitting pieces of things together and making sense of their worlds.  I try to choose toys for them to look at, feel, chew on, hold, and drop.  Infants like push and pull toys as they begin to crawl and walk.  Appropriate infants toys include: rattles, squeak toys, blocks, crib mobiles, stacking toys and rings, push-pull toys, stuffed animals or dolls, nested boxes or cups, books with rhymes, simple picture books, noise making toys, small soft toys for throwing, strings of beads, and music making toys. Babyiture offers a Push Along Play Cartthat puts a tracking maze, a play xylophone, and a shape sorter all together into one adorable toy that is made of solid wood. On top of all of that, kids get to push it around from room to room as they play!

Push Along Cart

Toddlers are active and enjoy climbing, running, and jumping. They need toys to meet these needs. They also are interested in doing things with their hands as the small muscles in their fingers become more developed. However, toys for this age group should be simple and require little coordination. During this period, toddlers become interested in playing with others and in imitating grown-up activities. Toys like dress-up clothes are great for this! Toddlers also are interested in sensory materials such as paint, play dough, crayons, and chalk. One of the best ways to allow them to be creative is with an easel. Babyiture has a Child’s Easel with all the fun features of a regular easel, but takes up much less space. Give this to any young artist and they’ll be thanking you as they get hard to work on their next masterpiece. It has a chalkboard surface on one side and a dry erase surface on the flip side. Wooden strips hold the paper in place and it includes two plastic paint cups and an eraser. The easel folds for storage.

Child's Easel

Preschool age children are interested in active physical play. They have more control of their muscles at this age and this can be seen in the move from a tricycle to a two-wheel bike. They enjoy realistic toys such as farm and animal sets, grocery store prop boxes, model cars, and trains. As hand coordination increases, so does the child’s interest in simple construction sets and more difficult puzzles. Some children at this age also are busy learning to read and write, give them play equipment that encourages these interests.

Early school age children start collections or hobbies. Toys occupy less time for this age group because children spend more and more time playing with friends in groups. Early school age children start to show more awareness of what girls and boys are supposed to do. Girls may play with dolls as ‘babies’ and pretend they are doing real housekeeping. The Uptown Espresso Kitchen provides girls the opportunity to play house with all the features that mom has available to her.  Often boys enjoy electric trains and construction sets. This is the age of active games, such as ball games, biking, hiking with the group.

Uptown Espresso Kitchen

No matter what the age, no house can have enough books. Children need to be read to from the day they are conceived all the way through their years in school. I always buy each grandchild a couple of new books each year for every occasion to add to his library. A mix of fiction and non-fiction is very important in a home. I bought them their own special chair, Time to Read Rocker, to sit in while reading. It has a Special Message: Time to Read Backrest that includes a working clock to keep track of little one’s reading time  (Uses 1 AA battery – not included) and a charming poem on the seat back: Once upon a Time I took a look and found my world was full of books Now I love to sit and read each chapter Rocking and Reading HAPPILY EVER AFTER . The chair comes with a comfy, removable padded seat cushion and includes a sturdy attached rack to keep books up and off of the floor. By choosing the right books, the right toys, I can nurture creativity in my grandchildren; offering them the tools for success in life.

Time To Read

Sea World Of Texas in San Antonio

I often hear people make the comment “if I had known grandchildren could be so grand, I would have had them first.” But what makes grandchildren different from our own children? Why do we consider them ‘grand’? For those of you with grandchildren, you probably would agree that there is a difference in your everyday expectations of your grandchildren today compared to your children when they were at that age. Our grandchildren usually spend a limited amount of time with us before returning to their parents; therefore, we are not responsible for the day in, day out, daily care and pressure of rearing a child. When our children were young, we were so busy with day to day affairs of a job, family, and home life; there seemed very little time enjoy life together. But with our precious grandchildren, we laugh, play, and explore the world when given the opportunity; because we have finally slowed down in life ourselves.

After spending two days with three of my grandchildren, ages 2 to 8, at Sea World in San Antonio,  I have some of the best memories to last a life time. This destination provides opportunities for all ages to relax and enjoy. Between the shows that were entertaining for the young and the young at heart, the animals, the rides, and all the water features allowing us to stay cool, we stayed busy from the time the park opened until it closed. Sea World provides multiple resting spots throughout the park for grownups to relax while the children play or the two year old to take a nap. The funniest sight I perceived while in the park were strollers of all kinds being used to carry all the belongings instead of the children!!! Following are a few suggestions you might consider if you are planning a trip to Sea World.

While in the park….

Feeding Time With Seals

Make time for feeding times: Meal time is the best time to meet some playful Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions, who you can feed by hand at designated times throughout the day. Stop by in the morning to check the day’s schedule, then give yourself some extra time to get a great spot right at the water’s edge. They are very playful and will come up to your hand.

See what goes on behind-the-scenes: Up-close tours like our Behind the Scenes and Ultimate Seafari Tour times aren’t listed on the park map, so they’re easy to miss. An insider’s tip? Book online ahead of time, or stop by the tour desk just inside the Main Entrance on the right.

Head to Sesame Street Bay of Play:This enclosed area is just for kids and a great place to let them burn off a little energy. Plus, there are plenty of shady spots for parents and a special play area just for toddlers. There are cabannas that can be rented for the day in this central area of the park, which is great if you have toddlers. It serves as the hub for the rest of the park. We went over to the Lazy River to float around I don’t know how many times. But the grandchildren loved it and so did I.

Water Play Park

Beat the heat: Temperatures can get quite high, especially in the middle of the day. Plan to take in these “cool places” when the thermometer rises: Shamu Theater, Penguin Encounter®, Sharks/The Coral Reef, and Nautilus Amphitheater. The new ‘Azul‘ show is awesome. We sat through it twice, because I couldn’t watch everything at one time. Don’t miss this one.

Pay once and dine all day: With the All-Day Dining Deal, purchase your meal tickets at one time and get a wristband that allows you to go through the restaurant lines as many times as you’d like that day. An Adult is $29.95 plus tax and Children 3-9 are $15.95 plus tax. Children under 3 may share with an Adult. Purchase in the park at any Ticket Booth, the Animal Connections Reservation Center, or Guest Services. Also, check into the Dine with Shamu. This is an up close experience with Shamu that children get to ask as many questions of the trainers that they want, while serving up an excellent buffet meal on linen table cloths. I was impressed by all the food that we purchased within the park. It was very good, with some excellent healthy choices, such as turkey croissants, turkey wraps, fruit, taco salads, fajita salads, pizza, pasta, grilled chicken, and barbeque. Large cups of ice water are free just by asking for it.

Dining with Shamu

Remember the kid in you: Don’t be surprised if you find yourself choked up in the presence of Shamu. Or, your arms covered with goose bumps in 85 degree weather as your hand touches a dolphin. There’s an incredible connection between humans and animals, one we celebrate here every day. Take a few deep breaths and drink in when you feel the connection move through you, and you’ll carry the feeling home with you.

Sea World of San Antonio surprised me by the quality of family vacation it provided for a family stretching in age from barely two to over 60. We all enjoyed ourselves without becoming overtired or cranky, making it a very relaxing, enjoyable family vacation.