Shusha Toys: Something New To Build with Wooden Blocks

Creativity never stops... That's right!! And while us, parents, have been fascinated with the return of wooden toys and noiseless building blocks, some parents-to-be in a far corner of this world, were taking a step forward and coming up with something new- wooden blocks to build people and face expressions, instead of houses and castles... How fun is that?

Shusha Toys is the brainchild of two young parents with background in graphic design and architecture, who in anticipation to their first child, decided to experiment and make toys that could be not only fun, but also help kids develop creativity, imagination and motor skills. Moustaches, smiles, eyebrows, noses, beards, the combinations with these blocks are endless, and sooo funny.

All Shusha Toys are made in-house in Russia from natural materials, such as wood and non-toxic paints.

Susha Toys available here. More information also on their Facebook page.

Awesome Picks for Shower Gifts: Cloudy Skies Inspiration

Colors, color, colors!! ... Today, we are inspired by cloudy skies and their  infinite hues... Blues, whites, grays, big fat clouds and skinny swirls, all moving around inviting our imagination to play with them, guess their shape and follow every step of their whimsical dance.

Are we getting too poetic here? Not, really. We are  just loking for new trends, reviewing the fall-winter collections of many designers and thought of "cloudy skies" as a perfect theme for a baby's room.  We are noticing the frequent use of dodger blue, light and dark, combined with slate gray in home decor, baby clothes, accessories and stationary. We are also seeing a lot of clouds and geometric shapes in textiles, pillows, and mobiles for little ones.

Skies and clouds, what a great inspiration for a baby's nursery or a shower party... Don't you agree? Here are seven fabulous picks to get the shower started, a cuddly soft friend, a velvety outfit, a little decor for  baby's room or a cool stationary set for the new mom...  We love them all!!

1:: Stripe Crochet Dog by La De Dah Kids available here.

2:: Cloud and Raindrops Mobile by Claire on Cloud 9 available here.

3:: Velour Baby One Piece by Uniqlo available here.

4:: Triangle Banner Garland by Couture by Ayca available here.

5:: Harvest Single Card Series by Darling Clementine Studio available here.

6:: Rosalie Mouse Rattle by Moulin Roty available here.

7:: Plush Bear Pillow by Gingiber available here.

Trendy Nursery: Scandinavian Inspiration with Susanna Vento

This week, for some unknown reason, I've stumbled upon so many pictures with the combination of black, white and yellow as a theme that I couldn't ignore it anymore. I've been seeing it in outfits , interior design and even, outdoors... Am I suffering some kind of obsession, is it a new trend? Not so sure, but after doing some research, it seems like the use of the three colors as a theme, is fashionable right now and very much so, in children's room decor. White walls, white furniture and accents in black and yellow... Beautiful!!

Among the crazy amount of pictures that I looked at in my search, this nursery design really impressed me. Isn't it spectacular? Modern, simple, sweet, perfect for a baby's room. It is the creation of Finnish interior designer and stylist Susanna Vento, and even thoough it is not one of her latest creations, I wanted to share it anyway as a source of inspiration for children space.  

Susanna Vento's artistic work is really incredible. I am in awe with her amazing capacity to select colors and shapes, and put them together in such a harmonic way, totally "modern, pure, Scandinavian", as she describes her style.

For pictures of the nursery shown above, click here.

For Susanna Vento's online portfolio, click here.

Get Inspired: A Sweet, Sweet Fall with Sweet Paul!!

Woow!! Do you need a little push to shake the summer blues off and get into the fall mood? The new issue of Sweet Paul Magazine will take you there in a blink.

My fascination with Sweet Paul was love at first sight. Months ago, one link took me to another, and another, and all of a sudden, I landed on Paul's sweet world. I honestly, spent hours mesmerized with the beauty and good content of his articles, and now that a new issue just came out, it is time to share the goods.

Get cozy and prepare yourself to be inspired by gorgeous photography, great recipes and awesome DIY yourself projects that will keep you busy from now till Thanksgiving. Sweet Paul really did a great job representing the feelings of this season, the chilly outdoors and the colors of fall, the plethora of new flavors in the kitchen during the autumn harvest, and the whimsy of Halloween with DIY masks for the little ones.

What a sweet fall we have ahead, Sweet Paul!!

Sweet Paul Magazine is a quarterly online and printed publication, available here.

Oeuf Fall-Winter Collection: Fabulous Knits with a Surreal Twist

Kids went back to school this morning and surely the temperature indicated that the warm weather in New York is over. The brisk air, the whiter sunlight and a couple of leaves falling, were enough to make us think of long sleeves, pants and hats for the little ones.

We are fascinated with Oeuf's new fall-winter collection, so much that we even had a hard time narrowing down our picks for this post. We love everything about it and like every single style.

Abundance of goodness!! That's what we are finding in this line with its gorgeous knits, handcrafted by Bolivian artisans using 100% super-soft, hypoallergenic baby alpaca wool. 

Comfy designs, the collection includes many pullovers, tunic dresses, leggings, hoodies and cool accessories in classic neutral colors, perfect to mix and match endlessly.

Saving the best for last, the one thing that really gets us giggly about this collection is the whimsical, mix of funny and spooky theme. "Keep it Surreal" is the name of this line and without a doubt, Oeuf's creators totally  did. Gloves with open eyes, sweaters with glasses and moustaches, hoodies with bunny ears, attachables tails, and a bunch of playful accessories complete a stylish halloween look that no one would mind wearing through the rest of fall and winter... After all, wouldn't you like your little one to have an extra pair of eyes or ears to see youuuuu better, or to hear youuuuu better?? 

Oeuf Fall-Winter Collection available here.  

Color Recreation: Where Did Our Summer Go?

Eleven weeks ago, summer seemed endless. We packed our minds with so many projects, trips and things to do. My girls felt invencible after finishing school and recharging their batteries for just one day... and so did I. We wouldn't even include the word "resting" in our plans, "exhaustion" or "extreme heat". Nothing would force us to stop and stay indoors. It was summer at last and we had to have fun.

Reality took place and obediently accepted that not because my girls were on vacation, it meant that I was on summer break too or that my husband could just leave work, and take many days off.

Temperatures reached three digits and the outdoors didn't sound so great anymore. Rapidly, the girls switched to the "lazy days of summer" mode. All of a sudden, there was no better plan than laying on the couch, watching a movie, looking at the ceiling, thinking... doing nothing.

We created then, our routine. Somehow, we managed to balance work, vacation and fun at home. Of course, we didn't get to do all of those fantastic projects we had thought of, but we did a lot. Most importantly, we spent time together as a family, in peace, and learned that sometimes "doing nothing" is fine, it's actually good, it's time to bond, to connect, to build that closeness that identifies us as a family.

We're now back from our one-week vacation and as we prepare for the first day of school this coming Monday, we are still indulging with the fresh memories of the final splash, the last sand castle, the unrescued pail, the forgotten ball, the plans left for another summer... But, it's time to pack up and move on... The beach is closed... The school bags need to be filled up.

Where did our summer go??? ...I don't know, but it was truly fun!!

Awesome Picks for Kids: Top 6 Backpacks for Pre-Schoolers

Are backpacks for pre-schoolers that important or completely unnecessary? Which one is the right one to select? ...and how could you know, if this is the first time you are sending your little one to school?

 It may sound silly, it is only pre-k and possibly just a couple of hours of school a day, but yes, your pre-schooler needs the right backpack, a step up from toyish bags, those ones your child uses to carry small things around, and a step down from the big backpacks that kids take to elementary school.

Having made this point clear, a backpack for pre-school shouldn't be just cute or cool. It should be functional. Size matters and a regular size backpack for a pre-k student becomes an aggravation, a huge thing that covers his/her whole back with so much space inside that is almost impossible for a young child to find anything. A toddler backpack is the appropriate choice, a bag usually the size of a notebook with enough room for gloves and a hat, small books, crayons and maybe, a little something for "show and tell".

Non-toxic materials are a "must" have. BPA free, phthalate free, lead free, all of those safety highlights are important, especially considering that in many cases, in which lunches are not part of the schedule, backpacks are the ones needed to carry snacks and juice.

Size, safety and comfort is our motto when choosing the perfect pre-k backpack, a bag that is easy for a little kid to figure out. Smooth zippers, padded straps, mesh pockets for snacks and a washable surface should make everyone happy and complete the deal.

Here is our list of the top 6 pre-k backpacks that passed our test:

1:: Bunny Backpack by CBHstudio (PVC Free).

2:: Cold Feet - Kids' Backpack by Dabbawalla (made of Neoprene-like fabric).

3:: Grey Robot - Toddler Backpack by So Young (PVC Free).

4:: Zoo Packs - Little Kid Backpack- Dinosaur by Skip Hop ( BPA, Phthalate Free)

5:: Bubble Half Pack- Gumball by MadPax (made of Polyester-Spandex fabric).

6:: Go-Vinci Backpack by Ben-Bat USA ( PVC Free).