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Just Right Puzzles and Books for Toddlers

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Somehow, magically, this summer my son has gained an incredible interest in puzzles and mastered every one of our chunky puzzles and most of the ones at the library with the little peg-type handles. The larger jigsaw type were way too challenging. We needed something in-between and this Ready, Set, Go! Wooden Puzzle from Green Start is a perfect fit.

Bag It Forward with Elmer’s and Help End Teacher-Funded Classrooms

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If you are gearing-up for back-to-school soon, hopefully your child’s biggest worry is choosing the most stylish first day outfit.

Too many of our nation’s children, however, do not have the pencils, backpacks, notebooks, and other basic essentials that help them succeed academically.

Elmer’s is partnering with Adopt-A-Classroom to Bag It Forward and help make a difference in classrooms across the country.

Go Barefoot for Soles4Souls

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For children all over the world, a simple pair of shoes can be a gift of hope.

Soles4Souls first came to my attention when I heard that See Kai Run generously donates to their efforts. See Kai Run makes the kind of shoes that have children jumping for joy and adults wishing they came in their size. With bold colors, a hip, retro sensibility, and high quality design, these flexible-soled leather shoes stand out.

See Kai Run has donated thousands of shoes through Soles4Souls, most recently putting together an emergency shipment of 3,000 shoes for children in Haiti.

Tea for you, Tea for me: Gourmet Tea Gifts

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Some people enjoy fine wine, but that’s an expensive hobby. Gourmet tea is an affordable luxury. You can travel the world through your tea cup by sampling teas from China, India, Africa and South America as well as unique herbal teas (tisanes). When I lived in Boston, I was a regular customer at TeaLuxe, and I frequently shop at Teavana.  Recently I’ve become a fan of the Language of the Leaf’s gourmet teas after meeting their owner Neeta Khanna who sent me a wide variety of her teas to sample. Neeta gave me some free samples, but I’ve since become a paying customer.

Imagination Takes Off!

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My son got a special treat for his birthday in April: the Shuttle Imagination from KidsCraft Playhouses.  That’s him in the photo right after he first spotted his new “spaceship.”

Since then, we’ve had lots of fun decorating his spaceship with stickers and crayons, and it has held up for many hours of
“make believe” play. My son enjoys peeking out from the shuttle windows and opening and closing the doors.  Since he loves the Toy Story movie and books about space travel, we’ve had many happy hours playing astronauts or Buzz Lightyear.

Win a $100 RosieHippo.com Gift Certificate

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RosieHippo.com , one of my favorite sources for green toys, is giving away a $100 gift certificate. To enter the giveaway, share your favorite imaginary play or pretend play story by sending a tweet to @rosiehippo or by entering the discussion on Rosie Hippo’s Facebook page. One winner will be picked at random on May 1st to receive a $100 RosieHippo.com gift certificate.

The opinions expressed on Mamanista.com are based on a single consumer user testing, and are solely those of the author. Any factual claims, including but not limited to safety testing, are based on information from the manufacturer. Mamanista.com receives sample products for testing. Paid placements, such as announcements of sales or sponsored contests are clearly marked. See our disclosure policy.