ebabee likes:Toys Archives - Page 7 of 13

Entries Tagged as 'Toys'

Construct in style…

July 18, 2012

The thought of Argentina conjures up such a romantic, beautiful, colourful image in my mind and I just know it won’t disappoint. That’s why I’m dying to visit… maybe one day. In the meantime, while my fascination with the country continues to grow, I have discovered that there are some very cool kids toys and designs coming out of there. It all began with some wonderful crochet toys I found and since then I’ve discovered more with my latest find being these delightful wooden construction toys.

Mamell toys are all made by Argentinian craftsmen using only wood found in Argentina. The toys come in natural wood with bursts of colour. Many of the toys have a strong vintage vibe which just adds to their charm and appeal. A lot of construction toys these days are a bit too modern looking (for my taste anyway) with sharp lines and linear shapes but not these. They are a pleasure to look at with their soft shapes and curves and I’m sure to touch and feel too.

I seriously am very taken by these beautiful toys and I don’t think I’ll be able to resist the Mamell store if I ever make it to Argentina! In the meantime, I shall admire from afar. The Mamell site is currently under construction but you can visit them at their blog and contact them if you wish to buy.

Sponsor story: French Blossom {discount code included}

July 2, 2012

French Blossom is a beautiful boutique that represents some of the finest French kids designers all under one roof. You’ve got clothes, toys, decor and accessories on offer; all are delightful and very French. I like to think of French Blossom as a divine little French Patisserie… y’know the kind of place you walk in to where you’re suddenly surrounded by the most delectable treats making it impossible to choose just one? Yup, it’s that kind of place!

Started by a husband and wife team who lived in Paris for several years, French Blossom is the first boutique of it’s kind. The couple were hugely inspired by the elegance and creativity seen in French kids fashion and decided to bring it together in one shop. On offer are brands like Mimi’Lou, Lale, Bakker, Eponime and many more. While each brand is unique, they all have bags of style and charm.

Visit French Blossom to browse their complete selection and you may find a cool bargain or two as they’re currently on sale. But if you like something that’s not on sale, don’t despiar… there’s a special 10% discount for all my readers. At checkout just use the code: EBABEES.

Wooden toy joy…

June 26, 2012

If you drop by often, you’ll know that I have a thing for wooden toys. They’re great for passing down from one sibling to another but also from generation to generation. And of course they look so much better than their plastic counterparts. Today I’ve found 4 wooden toys that are beautiful and look like they would be great fun to play with too:

1. Mama duck and her ducklings… while these aren’t strictly toys, I’m sure they would delight slightly older kids and for babies they’d make elegant nursery decorations.

2. Balloon powered cars… these simple but stylish cars are handmade from timber found in the German Alps and they look like they’d be great fun to play with.

3. Wooden iPhone… I love this cool little toy that’s an iPhone but also a set of mini blocks for little hands to play with.

4. Wooden play camera… which kid doesn’t like to take pretend pictures? This toy is from Japan and it’s sleek, minimal design is what makes it stand out from the crowd.

A kids stamp kit to wow

June 6, 2012

We’re big fans of kids stamp kits in this house especially since my 3 year old daughter can entertain herself for ages with her stamps. We’ve got a couple of lovely sets so I thought we were all kitted out but now I’ve seen this new Japanese stamp kit and it’s love. It’s unlike any other stamp set I’ve seen before and the possibilities of creating beautiful designs with this set look endless.

The stamp kit includes everything you need to make hand stamps or roller stamps and also includes 35 pattern ideas to start you off and then you can go on to create your own original patterns. The stamps would be great for making your own wrapping paper and cards and even artworks for your kids rooms but best of all, it’s just great for letting kids express their own creativity.

This kit is the creation of Torafu Architects of Tokyo but you can buy it over at Upon a Fold (one of my favourite paper boutiques) where I found them. It’s out of stock at the moment but more are coming soon. I am a huge fan of Japanese designed goodies because just like this kit, you always get something unique, beautiful and very desirable.

Update August 2014: Very sadly, Upon a Fold no longer exists.

The coolest pull along toys ever?

June 5, 2012

How cool are these pull along dogs? I recently spotted them while browsing svpply. I stopped to take a closer look and I found the most unusual pull along toys I’ve ever seen. These striking dogs are made of leather and I love them especially the dachshund with his bright blue wheels. I’m not sure what breed the bigger dog is but he’s pretty amazing too.

Wow… sometimes I just marvel at the creativity of people out there. These dogs are the creation of Ellen Heilmann of Germany and they’re called Waldi Und Sprinter. Just marvelous, don’t you think?

Colourful little goodies

May 1, 2012

These are a few colourful little things for kids that have been on my radar for a while so I thought it was about time I shared them:

1. A cute wooden giraffe ring toss toy by Sweet Whirl. It so reminds me of the fun fairs I’ve visited as a kid as I always had to have a go at the ring toss game and I remember if I won, I’d come away with some giant soft toy. 2. Love these handmade soft clock bracelets for kids. My bambino loves wearing a pretend watch and I’ve never seen any nicer than these by Specks & Keepings.

3. I’m a big fan of Elisabeth Dunker’s store Fine Little Day. This ‘Fine Little World’ poster is one of her latest creations in collaboration with French Illustrator Steffie Broccoli. It’s a bright and bold world map filled with animals, buildings and other things representative of the various countries of the world.

4. How sweet are these tulip adorned pony tail holders for girls by Hello Shiso? I’m loving the colours and the girly – ness of them. 5. I don’t normally get excited about crayons but I really liked these with their bright, graphic wrappers from Pomme NYC. And the best part is they don’t need a sharpener, just keep peeling the layers of paper to reveal more and more colour.

4 beautiful wooden rattles

March 27, 2012

I’m a big fan of wooden toys not only because they look good but also because they last and last and last. This weekend I went on the hunt for a wooden rattle that I wanted to gift to a friend’s bambino. I was looking for something unusual and of course beautiful. I ended up finding 4 that I loved and now I have a new dilema… how can I choose between these 4, they’re all so lovely! Here are a few more details on the 4 chosen ones:

1 & 2. A fish shaped rattle and a sphere shaped rattle both of which are made in the German Alps using only local timbers. Both look beautifully crafted and are described ‘as an absolute joy to hold for both adults and children’. You can get these 2 at a store called Objects of Use where they sell many other covetable wooden goodies too. 3. This wooden rattle by Timbur is a perfect new baby gift. I’m loving the flowing curves, the smooth finish and the combination of light and dark wood. 4. Handcrafted in the USA, these Earnest Efforts wooden baby rattles are filled with beans or lentils and are great for teething too. They come in various woods so you can choose light or dark. Both the Timbur rattle and the Earnest Efforts one are available from Fawn & Forest.

Colourful things…

March 9, 2012

Yesterday was holi, the Indian festival of colour where you get together with friends and family and everybody smears each other with colour. And of course there’s lots of eating and drinking and making merry! Being Indian, I couldn’t stop thinking about the great times I’ve had in the past as holi really is one of the most fun festivals for adults but even more for kids. So I thought about doing a ‘colourful holi’ inspired post and with that in mind, I’ve picked out 4 super colourful kiddy things that I’ve liked this week and hopefully you will too:

1. I love these tiny little birds that can be made in to so many things like a nursery garland, a brooch, nursery decorations and much more. These pretty birdies are from a shop called Moloco.

2. Shiny, bright fruit and vegetable wooden spinning tops by Londji. Sometimes it’s the traditional toys that are the most fun especially if they look as good as these.

3. These felt baby shoes are just adorable. I love their simple shape and the gorgeous colours. These booties are one to make yourself and you’ll find the instructions over at Purlbee.

4. I’ve been eyeing this colourful tassel garland for ages now. I can just picture a bright white nursery adorned with this large stylish garland to add a splash of colour. You’ll find this at Confetti System.

Happy crochet toys

February 29, 2012

I had a post all planned for today but when I came across these adorable crochet toys and soft toys, I ditched the planned post in favour of these lovelies. I’m a bit crochet mad anyway and these happy, bright and colourful toys just brought a big smile to my face as soon as I spotted them. They’re by a Danish company called Small Stuff and besides the crochet ones, I’m also loving the other soft toys… the spotted baby dinosaurs are just too cute and there are also some super sweet dinosaurs on skates which you’ll find on their site. These toys would make great gifts for a newborn and I’m sure the mama in question would be pleased too. You can visit Small Stuff to see more of these toys; their site is currently only in Danish but they’re working on an English version.

Vintage hot spot: Numero 74

February 24, 2012

I love a good vintage shop for kids and when I discovered the French Numero 74 I was smitten. They have some fabulous vintage toys like typewriters, cars and weighing scales, they also have some cool vintage chairs and desks for kids. Add to this their handmade bedding and cushions and the store is definitely one to check out. Their selection isn’t huge but I like that because they’re not trying to sell anything and everything vintage, just carefully chosen pieces all of which are desirable. I’m loving the red retro rocking chair and the gold typewriter and I also love their crochet blankets and kids bed sets. All the pieces are sourced from across Europe and USA and are from around the 1900’s to 1970’s and most are kept in their original condition to maintain their authenticity. To see the entire collection visit Numero 74 and enjoy their lovely finds.

Here’a another of my favourite French vintage boutiques for kids…