bobs and lolo.

I don't know about you, but in the last hour before daddy comes home, the house gets a little crazy. I'm tired, the kids are getting hungry for dinner, and I've found that turning up some music and dancing with the girls saves us all. It's something the girls look forward to, and we've recently added some new favorites to our list.

The Bobs & Lolo CD's are kid AND adult friendly. I don't find myself plugging my ears, in fact I'm learning the words and loving them as much as the kids. The songs are not only fun to dance to they teach the kids about being polite, animals, living healthy and more.. which is so much nicer than what is on the radio these days.

Growing up on Vancouver Island, Robyn (Bobs) and Lorraine (Lolo) have always shared a love of the natural world and a passion for working with children. Creating the dynamic duo Bobs & Lolo has allowed them to combine their diverse academic backgrounds with a mutual love of teaching and creative arts.

Samples of the songs are available to listen to here and CD's and DVD's are available for purchase here.

little hoot.

We received this book as a gift for baby Finn. It has been a fun addition to our library. The girls want me to read it over and over again. They think it is hysterical that all the baby owl wants to do is go to bed.. they can't believe it and claim they would love to stay up all night.

children's books.

Michael Recycle $11.50


Tea for Ruby $11.50

I find Christmas to be the perfect time to add to our book collection. These are two I've been eying for this year, although I'd love your suggestions for some tried and true childrens' books.

glockenspiel.

My girls both experienced a glockenspiel for the first time in their Kindermusik classes. They LOVED them, but until now, I

a: didn't know how to spell glockenspiel and

b: had no idea where to find one.

Imagine my surprise when I happened upon this little beauty. I can hardly wait to surprise them for Christmas. They will love the addition to their instrument collection and I will love the clear sweet tone, that is much milder than some of their current favorites.

small magazine.

The latest issue of Small magazine is out. It's definitely worth the time to browse.

i'm listening too...

actually before i tell you, i think it's imperative that i warn you - i'm not a musical genius. i'm definitely not known for my taste in music, i don't know bands & i'm generally the last to find out about the next big thing. phew! now that that's off my chest...i'm loving my most recent playlist... it's the perfect mix of old & new, a little bit of everything & perfect for every occasion. (click on picture to enlarge... you know, so you can actually read the song titles & artists.)
xoxo, K

a kid's first keepsake journal

recently i came across a the this is me journal - a kid's first keepsake journal. carrie (the visionary, creator & extraordinaire of the this is me journal) spent forever searching high & low for the perfect "first journal". she really wanted something similar to what she had as a kid... something for her "little ones" to record their thoughts & drawings. having no success in locating said journal, she created one & then decided to self-publish (wow!). resulting in the this is me journal... the perfect combination of "drawing, writing, creativity & simple scrap booking to capture the years memories through your child's eyes". check out the shop HERE, all the wonderful details & features of the journal, and read up on carrie's journaling tips & hints. also be sure to check out my favorite... the kids' self-portrait gallery.

xoxo, K

click clack moo.

One of our all time favorite books, Click Clack Moo by Doreen Cronin. It's been a favorite for Lily since she was two, and Stella has recently discovered a love for this humorous story about cows and hens.

Farmer Brown thinks it's odd when he hears typing sounds coming from the barn. But his troubles really begin when his cows start leaving him notes. First they demand better working conditions...and then they stage a strike. Doreen Cronin's understated text and Betsy Lewin's expressive illustrations make the most of this hilarious situation. Come join the fun as Farmer Brown's savvy -and literate- cows turn his farm upside town!  -Barnes and Noble

available to purchase here.

seeing the everyday GIVEAWAY.

We're ending this week with a *bang*:  5 winners of a year subscription ($23.50 ea.) of the newest and most thoughtful + beautiful of publications straight out of Cambridge, MA.- Seeing the Everyday.  It's a magazine that finds "poetry in the prosaic."  They tell real and innocent stories of those in between moments that most parents have grown to cherish.  They celebrate family and the funny 3-year-old sayings and even drawings like those you have plastered all over your refrigerator.  

It's art.  Each page is filled with amazing photographs, quotes and reminders in stories of why we exist; why the family is "the most critical, fundamental unit of society." It's a reader's dream and an artist's inspiration and a mother's retreat.  And completely advertisement free!  So refreshing.

They say, "We hope you'll see our purpose-- to strengthen the day to day interactions between parents and children.  These everyday interactions and prosaics.  They are the ordinary, common and seemingly meaningless moments of the day as we're trying to load the family in the car or prepare a meal together.  These prosaic moments are the very ingredients and substance that foster an atmosphere for relationships to deepen, grow and find greater happiness and appreciation."  

It's one of those sentimental gifts that you'll be thankful to jump on: quarterly, advertisement free, 112 pages of goodness.  Subscribe here for the gift that keeps giving.

Would you love to win? be sure to:
*enter one comment on this post - with your name
(extra entries for those who added our button to their website will be added by us, the blog administrators)
*entry will be open until 7am Saturday morning, 5/10 (one full day)
*random winners (random.org) will be chosen and announced Monday, 5/12
note: all winners will have until Friday 5/16 to claim their prize

baby name wizard.

My all time favorite baby name book, seriously it can't be beat. My copy is so used it is literally falling apart at the seams. I am slightly obsessed with baby names whether I am pregnant or not, which I am currently not, but still I find myself browsing the pages, dreaming up names, checking to see what good sibling names would be, highlighting, marking, folding down page corners.

Favorite features: Look up any name, the name of a child you already have and it lists off sibling names in boy and girl choices. A picture graph with every name showing you the trends from the beginning of time (ok not really but a long time ago) until present day, and the amount of not every day names it provides. So wonderful, really.

Some favorite names of mine?

For a girl: Daphne, Violet, Ruby and Scarlett
For a boy: Oliver, Phineas, Amos and Griffin

We know you all have favorite names and we'd love to hear them if you're willing to share...
Happy name browsing.

Lullabies & Wildflowers.

Anyone who is a mother knows that sleepless nights and crying babies can lead to levels of high stress and tranquility can be hard to find. I can honestly say that Melissa Errico's new CD Lullabies and Wildflowers (out April 29th) would have been a much needed and frequently played CD in our home when the girls were babies and even now we've found it receives a good amount of play-time.

Singer and Tony-nominated actress Melissa Errico has a distinctive sound that is clear and calming and extremely refreshing. I find myself heading for my itunes library on stressful evenings while making dinner or getting the kids ready for bed. Once I (and the girls) hear the rhythmic music and the crystal clear voice, you can instantly feel a change in the stress-level. Her voice has an incredible power to soothe and calm.

She performs a good variety of songs on the CD, classics like "Mockingbird", nostaligic "Someone to watch over me", soothing "Hushabye" or upbeat and jazzy "Walking Happy".

Melissa is a dedicated mother who says "I can't think of anything I'd rather sing about in the whole world right now".

The CD's release date is set for April 29th, just in time for Mother's Day! But perfect for baby showers, good friends or just because. You won't be disappointed.

the ones we love.

sean mark lee

I learned of The Ones We Love project on Black Eiffel and just spent an evening of being inspired and seeing the world as good again. Each artist's handwritten intro is almost the best part.

"The Ones We Love is a project highlighting young and talented photographers from around the world. Each artist contributed six photographs of the person(s) who is most important to them, taken outdoors in a natural setting."

lindsey josal

What would you say?

usborne.

I'm a reader. Maybe it's more like I used to be a reader, but even though I don't have the time to go through multiple novels a week anymore, it's still a passion that loves to surface. And Cole has quickly followed suit. He has two very large book baskets and we dig into both daily. He's at the phase where he remembers favorite words or phrases and repeats them over and over as he reads to him self. Simply, there's little cuter than hearing my two year old manage "eyebrows hairy" as he flips each page of That's Not My Monster. (A perfect throw-in-your-bag book!)

Usborne Books are a classic go-to for most learning stages, beginning with touch and feel, which maybe parallels my phase of only wanting to read The Guinness Book of World Records in 3rd grade, to first pictures

First Picture Trucks

and then look and say.

Look and Say Vacation

They're well done, easy teaching tools and come in a huge variety. Luckily, I found a online Usborne sales consultant (http://www.blooming-babies.com) that has a fantastic selection and wants to offer all Tangled and True readers 10% off already lovely prices. Simply enter code: "Tangled10" at checkout. Expires May 9th (30 days).

Thanks, blooming-babies!

your life in lists.

I make a list every night before I go to bed. It helps me sleep. But my lists don't stop at to-dos. I have a list of baby names, life-long goals, wishes, recipes, books... Listography would help me put it all in place: my "life in lists."

160 pages of guiltless pleasures plus fantastic illustrations. Any fans? $16.95

Duck on a Bike.

This week's favorite book in our house: Duck on a Bike by David Shannon. A zany duck makes for a silly story about riding his (borrowed) red bike past horse, cow, pigs, mouse, goat, sheep, cat, dog and chicken.

Shannon serves up a sunny blend of humor and action in this delightful tale of a Duck who spies a red bicycle one day and gets "a wild idea." Sure enough, in no time flat, he's tooling around the farmyard. A succession of his barnyard friends greet him politely enough, but their private responses range from scornful ("That's the silliest thing I've ever seen," from Cow) to boastful ("You're still not as fast as me," from Horse) to wistful ("I wish I could ride a bike just like Duck," from Mouse). --Publishers Weekly

Animals and their sounds are always a hit with Cole. You can buy it here.

the toddler owner's manual.

Finally an owner's manual for your toddler. Operating instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips and Advice on System Maintenance.

"Does your toddler refuse to consume fuel? Are there viruses in her system? Do you need to program her sleep routine? Whatever your concerns you'll find the answers here..."

While you may not be in need of the toddler owner's manual we're willing to bet you know someone who is. If you're lucky enough not to, it couldn't hurt to brush up once in awhile. Instructions for ages 1-3.

ay caramba!

Reason #87 to live abroad (especially Europe): the over all multi-lingual brilliance. It really is so impressive to know several languages, which you quickly learn is often common place. I grew up desperately wanting to know Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Mandarin, and on and on. I'm still working on Spanish... but luckily I should have plenty of years to deliver. And I have Professor Pocket pulling for me. It's a bilingual hayride. Truly: seamless bilingual (Spanish and English) storytelling and songs on a silly farm adventure meant for children, ages 2 and up.. but clearly suited for any enthusiast.



Learning a new language finally steps outside of flashcards and vocab drills. Professor Pocket (the trusty English translator with a fool-proof American accent), Desi the Dinosaur and Chico the Chicken (both who "often sing and speak full sentences in Spanish to enable greater contextual understanding") make their debut with catchy and original tunes, a silly story made easy to follow, and an itch to keep coming back for more.

Experts agree that the earlier you expose your children to additional languages, the better! Why? At a very early age, children start to prune away sounds that they do not hear regularly. Exposing children to additional languages early on builds a basis for proficiency later in life. In addition, children who are exposed to multiple languages often show superior cognitive skills, creative thinking, problem solving and math skills as well as broader global awareness.

My favorite? No Hay Dinosaurios. Professor Pocket sells for $15.95 here.

the gifted grasshopper.

One of the greatest things a parent can teach a child is the love of reading. The Gifted Grasshopper makes reading easy and fun. Founders Jen Nowack and Laura Greenstein have dedicated themselves to finding the hidden classics: "books that kids would grab for each night but that weren't on the top of the bestseller list."

The Gifted Grasshopper offers gifts for infants through 3rd graders. The gift sets come complete with a selection of theme books (think transportation, animals, shapes colors), signature tote bag, gifted grasshopper glasses and/or their exclusive grasshopper puppet.

In experiencing these gift sets it is clear that these two moms have you and your child's best interests in mind. From their unique book choices, to the tote that carries everything from books to diapers. The glasses and grasshopper puppet bring story time to life creating the perfect way to celebrate reading in your home!

The Gifted Grasshopper is offering Tangled and True readers 10% off purchases over $24.99. Simply enter in the code Tangled10 upon checkout.

essential organizers.

With all that comes along with having a baby, the day inevitably comes when it's time to leave the hospital. No more doctors or nurses helping you along. Rather, you have this tiny perfect bundle that is entirely dependent on you.

It can be intimidating with so many things to remember. Having The Essential Baby Organizer - birth to one year provides the perfect organizational solution.

Divided by the natural progression of baby's first year you'll keep track of feeding, diapering and sleeping schedules, well baby visits, baby's firsts, benchmarks for what to expect as baby grows and popular parenting topics. You'll also find pages to journal, write letters to baby and keep pictures of each stage.

The Essential Organizer is sure to become your go-to book. No ducks or bunnies, just a smooth sleek design covering ALL your bases. It is a must have for every mother.

Essential Organizers is offering our readers 15% off purchases of either or both their organizers. Simply use code 352149 at checkout.

Stone Soup

The classic and award winning book Stone Soup is a story of three soldiers who upon entering a small town and inquiring for a meal, find that all the food is hidden. The story unfolds and in the end the three soldiers along with the towns people enjoy a large feast.

As a little child I remembering reading this story with my Mother and of course making our own "Stone Soup" for dinner that night. This tradition has been continued with my little family and has created not only lasting memories and a lesson in sharing, but also a love for reading.