We Dare You!

We dare you to resist this delightful toy. We dare you not to ooh and ahh and pick it up and look inside and pretend to fly the rocket. We are thrilled to introduce a new toy line in Ottawa from French toy manufacturer, Janod. One of the oldest toy makers in France, this company prides itself on its whimisical creations, bold use of colour and safety. Our only complaint? How do we choose which are our favourites from such a big toy line with so many winners? Well, the answer is that we have chosen MANY, so drop by the store to see for yourself. Any remember, we dare you to resist!

Lovell Designs

We are sticklers for keeping things organized in the store and at home, so these lovely hampers appeal to us for both their function and style. Even if every parent has to repeat, "Pick up your clothes" a million times, at least this makes the chore a bit easier! Lovell Designs is a Toronto based company that has received numerous accolades in the design and blog world for her original patterns and use-anywhere designs. Check out Style at Home Magazine and Canadian House & Home Magazine for their latest reviews of one of our favourites.

Lovell Designs by msg361 on Polyvore.com

Ride On!

We don’t want to make a mountain out of a snow hill, but that sorry excuse of a sled your kid’s riding could use an update.

Hop on the Walrooz train, the downhill wonder that takes the classic saucer design and bedazzles it with modern features. Each sled has curved handles with notches at the top and bottom, so kiddos can create a toboggan effect by linking their discs. The more Walrooz there are, the faster they ride.

The sleds come in primary brights (red, orange, green and blue), so they’re easy to spot in a white-washed wipeout. There are even adult-size Walrooz with extra room for mom and dad sledders.

And to that we say: Ride on.

Vintage Books

Books have always been a mainstay in both of our homes and our kids loved books from an early age. When it comes to choosing books for the store we are often reminded of our favourites from when the kids were young. But with the re-releases of vintage classics, we sometimes remember favourites from when we were kids! It is so much fun to hear a customer pick up a book and exclaim, "I remember this book. I loved it as a kid!".

Starting with This is Paris published in 1958, the books Miroslav Sasek wrote painted a delightful picture of some of the world's great cities. Having delighted children and adults for more than 50 years they have now being reissued.

This is London

This is London is the second This Is book and undoubtedly one of the best. Sasek concentrates on the things he likes best: people, costume, transport and local details that somehow come together to form a whole impression of the city that still seems quite accurate today.

Bloombaby High Chairs

Well, it has happened again.

Red Chair Kids just added another gorgeous new line: the Bloombaby High Chair! We have been debating about this for years, but so many people have asked us to carry it, we decided it needed to find a home in Ottawa. It "checks all the boxes for us" in our favourite categories: great design and fabulous function. As Sarah always says, "I would have bought this for Brianna!".

It is the only modern high chair that works from newborn to toddlerhood. It is a 3-in-1 resting, feeding and play chair. The chair begins as a "nest" with the seat in a horizontal position for newborns to 6 month olds. It then becomes a feeding chair with up-to-the table or traditional tray modes. Finally, the tray can be removed and it can be used at various heights for children 3 years + and up to 79 pounds.

There are two versions; the Fresco and the Fresco Loft. The latter allows you to put baby in command at breakfast bar or counter top with an extra 6 inches in height.

Check this out: Bloombaby

We love Macaroni Kid!

Launched in September by Sara-Lynne Levine, the Ottawa branch of Macaroni Kid is fast becoming a "must see" weekly e-letter for parents who wish to be in-the-know about Ottawa happenings.

As Sara-Lynne says, "Macaroni Kids is full of ideas for activities to entertain, stimulate and exhaust your kids". Sounds perfect to us!

Mittens that Stay Up - No Strings Attached!

We see many new products every day, but rarely does an item land on our desk and make us immediately pick up the phone to place an order.

Mimitens are the brain child of Toronto mom Ann-Maria Montfort and they are brilliant. Anyone who grew up in a cold climate, or has struggled to keep mittens on a little one's hands will appreciate the simple but clever redesign of a winter basic.

You know that space above your little one's wrist that always gets cold and covered in snow? Well, Mimitens has it covered - literally! They're mittens with long, stretchy cuffs that reach to the elbow, making sure that no matter how much your child wiggles, those mittens won't fill with snow or fall off. The mittens are proudly made in Canada of bamboo fleece, Thinsulate, lycra and cotton, and range in size from babies to 5 years.

Wish we had thought of it!