special needs

Showing posts with label special needs. Show all posts

Bargain Alert: 20% Additional Discount at The Mini Social

I have a fantastic Friends & Family discount code to pass along to you for The Mini Social, the members-only flash sale site of designer children's clothing and gear. I assume most of you are members at this point, but if you're not, you can join through this link and scoop up extra discounts on already-reduced items like this week's colorful Scandanivan bodysuits and tops by Ittikid (shown above), sensory-friendly Soft Clothing, and organic layette by Under the Nile. See below for the coupon code and feel free to share with friends.

Enjoy an additional 20% off already-reduced prices at The Mini Social with Friends & Family code "FF20" now through Sunday, October 3rd.

Toys "R" Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids

I've been meaning to write since August about Toys "R" Us's new 2010 edition of its Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids, a user-friendly booklet that helps parents of children with special needs select toys that develop skills through different types of play. This year, actress and philanthropist (and parent of a child with autism) Holly Robinson Peete appears on the cover of the guide along with Tommy Austing, a 6-year-old boy from Los Angeles, CA. The guide is the largest edition ever (60 pages) and is available in both Spanish and English. It provides specific toy recommendations based on research that Toys "R" Us conducts in association with the National Lekotek Center to find out which toys provide the best play value during therapeutic play sessions for children with special needs. As a result, the guide can tell you, for example, that fine motor skills are honed through play with theMelissa & Doug Magnetic Number Maze ($16.99), or that tactile/sensory issues are addressed with Crayola Presto Dots ($9.99). These are just a sampling of some ideas that will be invaluable for teachers, parents, relatives, and friends of children with special needs. As a parent of children with special needs, I applaud Toys "R" Us for this effort. The guide is available in-store, and if you are shopping online you can access it through a dedicated website here, where you can also search by skill, price and age range.

Automoblox Cars on Sale

I've mentioned before how much S. loves his Automoblox cars, so I wanted to tell you that you can save some money on soon-to-be-retired Automoblox vehicles at GummyLump.com. For example, the Purple X9 Wooden SUV has been reduced to $29.97 from $37.95. Shipping at Gummy Lump is always free for orders over $75 so shop around for other wooden toys including Melissa & Doug, KidKraft, and Uncle Goose Wooden Blocks. Gummy Lump also earns kudos for paying extra attention to children with special needs and their parents, both on its site and on Twitter. Thanks, Gummy Lump!

Top photo: Automoblox cars (and what S. calls their "little guys") occupied us on rainy days during this year's beach vacation.

7 Habits of Highly Effective Special Needs Parents

I don't think I've ever reprinted a parenting article at this blog. But I was so taken with "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Special Needs Parents" that I thought I should share it with you, since I know that more than a few of my readers are, like me, parenting children with special needs. I'm curious whether you manage to maintain any of the habits described below. I have tried hard, especially during the past few years when I have been a single parent as well. Here is the article, reprinted with permission of Joan Celebi of SpecialNeedsParentCoach.

If you are a mom of a child with special needs, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this article. Please leave them in the comments.

Did you ever notice how some special needs parents seem to be not just surviving, but doing quite well? Even with the challenges they face every day, and heavy demands on their time and energy, they’re happy, organized, energetic, all-around “put-together” people – and they hardly ever seem to be in a rush or stressed out. What are their secrets?

It’s not that their children’s special needs are any less serious. And it’s not because these parents just naturally have a sunny disposition.

From my own experience as a special needs mom, from observing fellow special needs parents, and from seeing what works best for my coaching clients, I’ve discovered over the years what it takes to be one of these “highly effective special needs parents.”

Parents of children with special needs who live manageable, balanced, joyful lives utilize a set of skills I call the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Special Needs Parents. You can learn these skills, just as I did years ago, and just as my clients do today.

So … what do highly effective special needs parents do? While everyone has their own unique mix of what works best, here are the common threads that I’ve found running through the lives of these parents:

1. They make rest a priority.
Highly effective special needs parents are in bed by 10 pm or even earlier most nights, even if it means leaving something unfinished. Parents whose children have irregular sleep patterns take naps whenever possible to make up for the late nights and pre-dawn awakenings.

2. They make time for eating well.
Highly effective special needs parents don’t skip meals – and they eat delicious, nutritious food. They get the whole family involved in weekly or monthly meal planning. They also tend to stay hydrated by sipping water throughout the day.

3. They find support.
Highly effective special needs parents get help with even the smallest things, as often as they can, from anyone and anywhere they can: family, friends, neighbors, agencies, organizations, and their community. They hire help when necessary, and find creative solutions for bartering help with family and friends. They belong to support groups for their children’s special needs and disabilities, and they’re in close contact with other special needs families in their area.

4. They guard their time carefully.
Highly effective special needs parents know they have to be careful about how many activities they sign up for, and the activities they do choose to participate in are only those that are nearest and dearest to their hearts. They save most of their free time for whatever truly matters to them most.

5. They schedule social time on the calendar.
Highly effective special needs parents regularly go out with friends, and also with their spouse or partner. They take the time and effort to train sitters, relatives, or friends on how to care for their children, so their social time can be as fun and worry-free as possible. They take advantage of respite services in their area when they need a break. They schedule social time weeks or months in advance, and then do whatever’s necessary to make it happen.

6. They nurture their own needs and interests.
Highly effective special needs parents reserve time for exercise – walking, biking, hiking, stretching, exercise videos, even gym workouts. Many exercise with friends. They engage in creative pursuits and hobbies that can be fit into small moments here and there throughout the week. And they make time for intellectual activities too, like reading or taking a class for personal growth and enrichment.

7. They intentionally practice stress-reducing techniques.
While all of the above habits are excellent for reducing stress, highly effective special needs parents take stress reduction a step further by practicing deep breathing, meditation, or anything that helps them build up their inner reserves and cultivate inner calm. Highly effective special needs parents also reserve time each day to put aside the therapy goals and the discipline issues, and relax with their children, enjoying them just the way they are.

What about you?
I’ve seen it time and again: the more you practice these 7 Habits, the more productive and efficient you become, the more you’re able to handle whatever comes your way, and the more things fall into place in your life. Many of these habits are about taking excellent care of yourself, so you can continue to take excellent care of your children and family.

It’s well known that when parents lead low-stress, balanced lives, children do better socially, emotionally, and academically. Try some of these 7 Habits, starting today – you’ll be amazed at what a huge difference they’ll make – for you, your children, and your family.

(Photo by me, August 2010)

Playtime New York Roundup: Part 2

I'm back from vacation and busy catching up. Thanks for bearing with me while I finish up my posts about Playtime New York and BlogHer '10. Here are some more of my top kids' finds from the former (and check back later today for a giveaway from the latter):

I was so excited to meet the team behind Soft Clothing (also one of our new affiliates). Remember I mentioned this company earlier this summer when they had a sale at Totsy? I had heard about Soft Clothing several months ago from one of my son's Early Intervention therapists; she told me that some women had created this fantastic new clothing line specifically to meet the needs of children with sensory problems (such as children who have "tactile defensiveness" in which the feel of clothing tags may be unbearable to them). The clothing is all tagless, flat-seamed, and, yes, very soft. Plus it goes up to size 7/8- since sensory difficulties may not always have disappeared by that age/size. Take a look at some of their products, including cute graphic tees and color block dresses. (p.s. I may be working with this brand some more...a trunk show, perhaps? Stay tuned).

Next is Kit and Lili, a brand which I first met at the indie Bubble trade show a few years ago. It has soared to success since then; you may recognize their clothing and accessories from other shops and catalogs such as Chasing Fireflies. Their bold, modern Marimekko-inspired designs are winners with both moms and kids. And, we may have a giveaway with them soon. See, lots of good news when I disappear on vacation for a little while!

Ready for unbelievable cuteness? Check out Little Mave, which bills itself as "vintage inspired pretties for babies and girls." If you've got a little girl to spoil, you must check out these beautiful hand-made ruffled diaper covers ($28, up to size 24 months) and bloomers ($36, up to size 6).

It is always a pleasure running into the folks at 3 Sprouts, another designer I met early on who has now enjoyed success with retaukers like Giggle and The Company Store. New this season: organic hanging wall organizers, and eco-friendly art smocks (please note the prices in the photos are wholesale; the smock costs $24 at Giggle).

Playtime was a debut trade show for SoYoung Mother, a company that makes eco-friendly "lifestyle" bags for moms & kids, including diaper bags and lunch bags. (Apologies- from this point on I accidentally deleted the photos I took, so I grabbed the remaining photos from the designers' own sites)

Feast your eyes on these gorgeous handmade goodies for kids by clemence g., a designer who hails from, bien sur, Paris. You can buy their lovelies stateside from time to time at Comptoir D'en France.

Last but not least, I was introduced to Bequita, a children's clothing designer with products for ages 6 months to 6 years. The designer, Rebecca Bardes, was inspired by time she spent volunteering in China and uses signature details such as hand-drawn fabric prints, Chinese knot closures, and mandarin collars. So pretty, and made with certified 100% organic cotton, too.

Missed Part 1 of my Playtime New York Roundup? You can read it here.

BlogHer '10 Part 1: Places & Faces

Over the weekend, I attended my very first BlogHer conference, an annual event at which over one thousand women bloggers gather together for learning, networking, and socializing (this year, at last, it was held in New York; it switches venues each year). It was an amazing experience for me. I'll try to explain why.

At BlogHer, I met women with whom I have much in common (such as single moms, or moms raising kids with special needs). I also met moms with whom I seemingly had nothing in common (such as homeschooling moms), but learned to see that we actually have the same values in some other important ways. I also got to meet some truly amazing, inspirational women such as Anissa Mayhew, a well-known mom/blogger who suffered a stroke last year and almost didn't make it. Meeting her in person at BlogHer (visibly affected by her stroke, but vibrant and funny as ever) was an absolute highlight for me. I told her how much her story has inspired me and reminded me to appreciate what I have (most importantly, my health) in the face of other challenges. She squeezed my hand and said some really lovely things, which of course made me cry. It was that kind of weekend (yes, cheesy, but true). Scenes like that played out everywhere- women connecting, meeting each other IRL (in real life) having followed each others' "virtual" stories, and drawing strength and inspiration from each other. Not to mention some great professional networking and advice, super cool events, and, yes, swag- but more on those things later. It was that good.

There's a lot more to tell, but perhaps I'll start by showing you some pictures. First, the conference kicked off on Thursday on a very high note for me. I was interviewed by Today Show producer Alicia Ybarbo for an upcoming online segment on Today's Moms. I will let you know when it goes live!

I hit some events and parties on Thursday night, including Social Luxe Lounge where moms were primped & pampered pre-conference. I had my make-up done (I rarely wear make-up), which was a real treat.

At the Social Luxe party I met one of the friendliest "A-list" bloggers ever, the incomparable, self-described "foul-mouthed liberal" Cecily Kellogg.

Next up, at a dinner for the Bloganthropy awards, I met Katherine Stone, the founder of Post Partum Progress, the most widely-read blog about postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum psychosis & other mental illnesses related to pregnancy and childbirth. She has helped so many women.

My last stop on Thursday was a rare invitation-only private reception at Ralph Lauren's gorgeous corporate offices on Madison Avenue. Our host was his son David Lauren (not bad, eh?)

David Lauren introduced the RL Gang, the cutie-patootie models whom you may recognize from Ralph Lauren's print ads for children's clothing. And told us about a new Ralph Lauren project that will interest moms- more on that another time.

I met/saw several celebrities in and around the event, including Robert Verdi,

Padma Lakhsmi, and...

Mrs. Potato Head. Hey, it was a mom-friendly crowd.

Moving on. On Friday, in between panel discussions and sessions, I visited the Expo Halls, where you could meet reps and sample products of everything from Huggies to Playskool to Earth's Best (I'll be posting at a later date about some of the new products I learned about). Plus you could engage in a "Just Dance" dance-off with the likes of top bloggers Liz Gumbinner of Mom 101, Kristen Chase of Motherhood Uncensored, Amy Storch of Amalah, and Catherine Conners of Her Bad Mother (and while you're clicking on links, you must read about Catherine's nephew Tanner, whom I got to meet later in the weekend. Quite an amazing young man).

On Saturday, S's 4th birthday, the kids and I were treated to a private visit to Toys R Us in Times Square. They enjoyed testing out some new toys and indulging in ice cream, birthday balloons (thank you!) and a ride on the ferris wheel. I'll report back soon on some new toys plus Toys R Us's latest toy guide for differently-abled kids. I am so glad that they publish that.

There were also lots of post-conference parties on Saturday night, including "Sparklecorn" which I can't even describe except to say that it includes 80s music, glow-sticks, Pop Rocks, Unicorns, and lots of moms letting loose. I guess you had to be there.

Coming up soon: BlogHer '10 Part 2: Panelists, Products and Presents and BlogHer '10 Part 3: Giveaways! Oh, and before those, I'm going to share some super coupon codes I got at the Expo Hall, too.

Please Watch This

This post is not at all about shopping, but I know that a certain number of you can relate to it all too easily. And I hope that others will understand it, too. I just stumbled onto this stunning video, "Holland, Beirut & Holland, Schmolland" by Christianne Pollock and had to share it.

As Christianne explains, if you have a child with special needs you have almost certainly been told by well-meaning friends about the essay "Welcome to Holland." But, unfortunately, that essay sometimes paints a rosier picture than the reality of your everyday life. Your world may more closely resemble Beirut or "Schmolland" particularly if your child has autism (as Christianne's son does). I have several close friends who can attest to this. Click on those links and read those essays about Holland, Beirut, and "Schmolland", and you'll start to "get it" too.

Take a look at what Christianne has done using bits of text from these essays which are now famous among moms of children with special needs. It is inspiring and uplifting.

(JR, this one's for you)

Holland, Beirut & Holland Schmolland from Christianne Pollock on Vimeo.

Bargain Alert: Totsy.com

You already know that I am a big fan of members-only "flash sample sale" sites like Zulily and The Mini Social. There is a 3rd site I want to tell you about, which offers moms (and expectant moms) up to 70% off on products for kids ages 0-7, including baby gear, travel accessories, educational toys, and designer clothing. It's called Totsy and I think you will love it. It has some pretty awesome sales on top products that aren't easy to find everywhere. Each sale lasts for 48-72 hours and I wanted to bring two to your attention that are taking place right now. I'll be purchasing from them myself, for sur.

Sage Creek Organics clothing proves that organic clothing can be colorful, comfortable, and affordable. I adore Totsy's selection of their toddler/kids' playwear (I only wish it went past size 6X for girls; but I'll console myself with a shirt or two or S.) These are great back-to-school pieces, and every one is 100% certifified organic cotton. Clockwise from top left: Pacific Blue Iverson Rugby Polo (reduced to $15 from $29); Jenna V-Neck Bow Top in Poppy Red Stripe (reduced to $12 from $25); Poppy Red Solid Leggings (reduced to $8.50 from $16); and Jet Blue Corduroy Pants (reduced to $17 from $36);

The 2nd sale I must tell you about is for Soft Clothing, which I first heard about from one of my son's Early Intervention therapists. Now I am starting to read about Soft Clothing everywhere, with good reason- it is a very smart idea. Basically it's clothing that has been "tested" and approved as being comfortable to wear by kids with sensory sensitivites (which includes many children with various special needs). So everything is tagless, has flat seams, and soft elastic waists. Nothing that makes a sensory-sensitive kid scream when you try to wrangle it on. If this rings a bell with you and your child, you should check it out. The clothes are cute and go up to size 7/8 (thank you!!!)

Girls' Soft Party Dresses (in gold, white, or raspberry), reduced to $13.20 from $24.

Soft Whale Print Shorts, reduced to $13.50 from $27.

Soft Suspender Tee, reduced to $10.45 from $19

To purchase from Totsy, you must be a member. Not a member yet? No problem! Click here for an invitation link. As a member, you'll get perks like account credits when you refer friends, and advance notice of sales. And one more thing: with every Totsy purchase you make, they plant a tree in the name of your child to help reduce the effects of deforestation. Nothing like feel-good shopping, right? Visit Totsy.com.

Best Thing Since...You Know

One of my closest friends- who lives in Toronto- visited recently and brought a ton of goodies for the kids and me, including some "only in Canada" food. R. promptly devoured her favorite chocolate Smarties (a close cousin of M&Ms) as well as some Bear Paws (soft chocolate-chip cake-like cookies). I was more excited about the arrival of a certain loaf of Wonder Bread. In Canada you can buy this special Wonder Headstart 100% Whole Wheat Bread with Omega-3 DHA, which my friend hand-delivered to us. Wonder Headstart is the first whole grained bread for kids that has 15mg of DHA (which supports development of brain, eyes, and nerves) per two slice serving. Plus it has much more of the daily recommended nutrients than the bread my kids had been eating before, including iron, thiamine, niacin, and magnesium. It may not sound like a big deal, but my kids are very picky eaters, which can be common for children who have/have had developmental delays. My kids can also detect the tiniest changes in flavors (that Jessica Seinfeld cookbook did not work for us), so I thought they might not like the taste of this bread, but they actually enjoyed it. Now I am very glad that when I'm making my seven thousandth grilled cheese sandwich, at least there is something good surrounding that (organic, of course) cheese.

p.s. I haven't been able to find the bread in any of my NYC supermarkets...let me know if you spot it anywhere. In the meantime, thank you so much J. for yet another delivery!

Bargain Alert: Free Baby Einstein DVD Sampler for Children with Special Needs

If you're a mom of a child with special needs, you can order this free free DVD sampler from Baby Einstein, which features selections from three Baby Einstein DVDs and 20 minutes' worth of free content. In return, they'd like to hear your thoughts on what they can do to make their products more helpful to families with children who have special needs (I suggested that they feature more children with disabilities on their DVDs). The offer is valid through December 31, 2010; click here to sign up. Enjoy!

Four Days To Go

As I've mentioned before, my kids and I are raising money for next Saturday's YAI's Central Park Challenge, an event that raises money and builds awareness for people of all ages with developmental disabilities. My 3-year-old son, who has a speech disorder, is just one of hundreds of thousands of people that YAI has helped. YAI is the gold standard of agencies providing services for people with disabilities, and has won countless awards including Crain's #1 Not-for-Profit "Best Place to Work in New York City". On a personal note, I have been a Board Member of one of YAI's divisions ever since I was pregnant with my first child (it was a complete coincidence; I had no idea that our family would end up needing YAI's help, too). And during the past few years of single motherhood for me- which has been challenging, to say the least- everyone at YAI has been extraordinary in their outpouring of support and friendship.

I set a personal fundraising goal of $1000 this year and have already reached it, plus change (as of writing this post, I have raised $1018). I want to keep going. Funds raised by the Central Park Challenge go directly to programs that help people with disabilities- from maintaining classrooms for preschoolers with special needs to providing job training for developmentally disabled adults. If any of my regular blog readers have been touched by any of what I've shared with you about my children, or about YAI, I hope that you will consider making a donation of any size- even just $5. Last year, several readers did so. I can't tell you how much it meant to me.

If you'd like to donate this year, you can do so at my personal fundraising page. My children and I- and countless other families who have been affected by developmental disabilities- thank you so much for your support!

The Holiday Spirit

I have been remiss in not writing sooner about real holiday giving. Not gift-giving, but charitable giving. It has been on my mind a lot.

My holiday budget was tight again this year, but I made sure to stick to it so that we had a little leftover to donate to a couple of charities (I always debate whether to make on "larger" gift to one charity, or to divvy it up...I chose the latter, which means it will be four tiny gifts, but it still feels right). I also like to involve the kids in this process, especially now that they are older (ages 4 and 7). They know that the money we save in our change jar all year long always goes to "tzedakah" at the end of the year, along with the other amount I budgeted.

This year I chose four charities, and the children helped me choose the first one. We got a fundraising letter in the mail from DOROT, a NYC charity that delivers meals and provides friendly visits to the homebound elderly. This was something tangible that easy to discuss with the children on an age-appropriate level- i.e. "Why do you think it is hard for older people to cook for themselves?" "Why do you think older people like to have younger people visit them?" R. also liked that this is a Jewish charity, although I pointed out to her that it provides food for elderly people of all backgrounds.

The other 3 charities I chose myself: The Doe Fund (a favorite NYC charity of mine for years which provides training and jobs to formerly homeless, addicted or jailed individuals); Autism Speaks (an organization I consider the "gold standard" in autism awareness, research, and treatment...plus I know the boy who inspired the organization from our neighborhood); and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (I am thankful for the care they provided for my aunt years ago, and I continue to be grateful for each year that my family is healthy).

Of course, there are many other ways to give this holiday season besides donating money (one of my favorites is to give glood since the supply is traditionally low this time of year). A wonderful blog that I discovered this year, Operation Nice has many other inspiring ideas and anecdotes.

What are some of your family's favorite ways to "give back" during the holidays? Tell us about them in the comments.

Too Good by Jenny McCarthy

Last week I attended a launch event here in New York for Too Good by Jenny, Jenny McCarthy's new line of affordable, safe bedding for babies and kids. You probably all know by now that Jenny McCarthy is both an entertainer and an activitist/"mother warrior" who speaks out about autism and the possible environmental toxins that may contribute to the disease .

(I am not going to address the vaccine debate here, because as both a special needs mother/advocate and someone with an MPH degree, I respectfully disagree with Jenny on this issue, as well as the theory that children with autism can be completely "cured." However, I am grateful to her for bringing more awareness to the epidemic of autism and the enormous toll it takes on families, including financially; Jenny noted that it costs an average of $80,000 a year to treat a child with autism, which is often not covered by insurance).

As a mom of children with special needs, though, I do wholeheartedly agree with Jenny, though, that wherever possible, you should err on the side of caution when buying products for your babies, particularly products that will be close to their skin for long periods of time (like crib bedding). Too Good by Jenny bedding is made with high quality, high-thread count cotton (including some organic cotton pieces) that are extremely affordable (an entire crib set can cost you as little as $99, which is pretty amazing). Right now the collection is primarily crib bedding but they will offer big kids' bedding soon, too. Another plus: even the packaging is PVC-free and 100% recyclable.

The prints are cute and colorful and definitely will appeal to a wide audience. I usually prefer more muted designs, but I did like the pink ladybug set shown above. The bedding is coming to Target, Buy Buy Baby, and Baby Depot soon, and in the meantime you can also buy it online at Baby Super Mall.

Soft Clothing for Sensory-Sensitive Kids

Remember Soft Clothing, the sensory-friendly line of kids threads? It's been growing by leaps and bounds, and not just among parents of children with special needs who appreciate all of its awesome features (flat seaming, tagless necks, encased elastic waistbands, and no zips, buttons, or itchy trims, to name just a few). Pretty much all parents (and kids) love the fun designs; check out the latest in the collage above. At a recent trunk show hosted in conjunction with an event with new NYC group Spark, I got to see these designs in person and particularly liked the bow print tee for girls and the moped tee for boys. And the prices- $18.50 for each of these tees- can't be beat, especially when you know that these clothes have been especially made for kids who are "tactile defensive" (they have all been rigorously tested with children who have these specific sensory aversions). So if you have a child who wiggles and squirms at every clothing label, zipper, and button, definitely check out the wares at Soft Clothing.

Use code "SOFTSPARK" for a limited time only to get 15% off your Soft Clothing order plus free shipping (valid for US shipping only and one use per shipping address).

Wordless Wednesday

Well, this isn't wordless, but I hope you'll forgive me. A few days ago I took this photo of S's first time writing his name (with help from his wonderful occupational therapist, who has been working with him since he was 15 months old). I've mentioned before how parents of children with special needs feel indescribable joy at seeing their children reach developmental milestones, even if later than normally expected. Not to take anything away from parents of "typically" developing children, but when your child must work through hundreds of hours of Early Intervention therapies to achieve outcomes that just happen naturally for other kids, well, the pride you feel is like nothing else. After my son wrote his name (something his OT had been working on with him for a very long time), I cried some "happy tears" and hugged both of them. I know that some other moms who read this blog can relate...and I hope that they celebrate similar moments very soon, too.

Enchanted Toys

A while ago I wrote an article for Mommy Poppins about the best toy stores in Manhattan for children with special needs. I have another one to add to the list. A few weeks ago, 3 1/2 year old S. and I stopped into Enchanted Toys on Lexington Avenue/80th St. Even though we live close by, we'd never been inside this store before (which, by the way, is owned by Jeanine Lobell, celebrity makeup mogul and wife of actor Anthony Edwards). It is a small but, yes, "enchanting" store filled with all-natural, handmade toys that inspire creativity and imaginary play (lots of Waldorf stuff here). It's perhaps the most natural of any NYC toy store I've been to (as their website says: "What you won't find: a single plastic action figure or video game.") Instead the shelves are filled to capacity with wooden castles and farms, handmade dolls, gorgeous costumes, and plenty of simple, quality stacking toys, art supplies, and the like.

S. fell in love, and so did I. First, I have to say that the shopkeeper was wonderful with S. He started a (shaky) conversation with her; she was friendly and sweet and patient, and understood every word. Plus, she let him play with the items on the shelves (under my supervision, of course). As for the toys in the store, S, was particularly taken with the wooden animals and farm scenes, and also the play food. I'd never seen this particular brand of wooden play food before- it's called Erzi and it's made in Germany- and it is gorgeous. You can find a great selection of this food online (though it sells out fast) at Tree Hollow Toys or Moolka. They're expensive, but we treated ourselves to one hamburger and one donut.

Wooden Powdered Donut Pair ($5.99 at Tree Hollow Toys)

Hamburger to Cut ($5.99 at Moolka)

Wooden Spaghetti in a Tin ($10.95 at Tree Hollow Toys)

Last, another (German) brand I learned about at the store is Spiel and Holz. They make these divine, handmade solid wood toys with colorful water-based dyes. Gorgeous! (It's not the item shown, here, but I want to buy my kids this Stacking Rainbow Tunnel, X-Large...maybe for their August birthdays).

Browse online or buy in-store at Enchanted Toys in NYC, and tell them that I sent you!