Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Ebeanstalk Toy Review



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A few of you may recognize this review from my family blog a few months ago, but with the holidays coming up I am reposting it here too:


My children instinctively know that a box in the mail is a symbol of good things to come.
As soon as our ebeanstalk package arrived my daughters grabbed onto my dress eagerly reaching towards the package and asking who it was for.

We opened the box to reveal the Wooden Activity Bus, which instantly became a new favorite toy. Both my two and four year old daughter loved the wooden bus that opened into a classroom setting complete with a teacher, a desk, a student, and even a world map.

My daughters loved the details, the ease of use and manipulation of the pieces, and the fact that multiple pieces meant more opportunities for cooperative play.

I loved the fact that the bus easily closed up, safely storing all the pieces in a convenient, cute, and still fully functional toy bus frame. The quality of this toy was also worth mentioning. The sturdy wood construction promised long-lasting durability even through my children's (not always so gentle) playing.

This cleverly crafted toy was very well thought out, well designed, and clearly made with kids in mind. If the Activity Bus is any indication as to the quality of the rest of the toys at Ebeanstalk, sign me up for the newsletter, because I will definitely be buying from them in future!

Visit Ebeanstalk.com from more great gift finds such as the magnetic responsibility chart which is next on my wish list!

Hawaii




Doesn't the background look fake?

I already miss the sandy beaches and the sea turtles that could care less if you got right in their face with a camera...

I got the swine flu and spent three days in bed. It was miserable. I mean, of course it was miserable, I had the flu... but it was made even worse by the fact that I could look out the window and see those crystal Hawaiian waters. What a waste!

But at least I am on the mend now, right?

Just think of all those sea turtles I missed out on!

New Dress Pattern





I've had this pattern in my head for a while so I finally sketched it out and turned it into reality. I was thinking about submitting it to YCMT, but I'm a bit short on time right now, so we'll see.

So let's see, we have shirred backing, a contrasting quilted border with a ruffle at the bottom and some great decorative stitching across the top. She loves it and I guess that's all that really matters, right? :)

Dance Recital




What is it about tutus, curly hair, dancing and spotlights?

Going back through some pictures and my daughter decided she wants to take dance lessons again. I have to admit, she does look pretty darn cute, though.