Happy Halloween.

Happy Halloween! I hope your day is filled with fun activities, lots of candy and adorable kids all dressed up.

image via marthastewart.com

last minute costume ideas.

Parents magazine has come out with a last minute guide to some great costumes you can make from things in your home or garage. Genius!

Play Dishes from IKEA

IKEA is one of my very favorite places to shop. I love how family friendly it is. And I love their stuff. Plain and simple.



The new DUKTIG play dishes are so cute. There's the plate and bowl set (right) and the coffee/tea set (left). They are $9.99 each. Not bad.


(DUKTIG baking set, set of 7)

A few years ago, we bought our little girl the baking set and the cookware set for Christmas. They have by far been the favorite toys. My little guy loves them even more than his sister.


(DUKTIG cookware, set of 6)

My Favorite Children's Books

We lived in NY for quite awhile and The Met was one of my favorite places to spend a quiet afternoon. I was thrilled when my husband brought Museum ABC home for us to read. We also enjoy Museum Shapes, and look forward to getting Museum 123 and Museum Colors.


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Mo Willems never disappoints us. All of his books are very, very funny and remind us of our own children. That is probably why his books are popular with everyone.




My very favorite is the first Willems' book I ever read to my kids, Knuffle Bunny. We read it after a similar incident when my daughter's special friend, Piggy, got lost at the store. The sequel, Knuffle Bunny Too, is also charming. His next book, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed, comes out in Jan '09.


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My husband brought Scaredy Squirrel home from school one day awhile back and we became addicted to it. (My husband says it is his favorite children's book ever.) There are two more books so far about Scaredy Squirrel: Scaredy Squirrel Makes A Friend, and Scaredy Squirrel At The Beach. (We have yet to read the beach book, but I'm sure it's just as hilarious.) And another, Scaredy Squirrel At Night that comes out in April '09.


Scaredy Squirrel doesn't like to leave his tree for fear that something awful might happen. Check it out. I think you'll love SS.

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I've been reading McCullough's John Adams, and my daughter has been enjoying her own share of patriotism with this book:



This book is a great way to introduce your kids to some of the heroes of American History--even though you won't get a fabulous or completely accurate history lesson. It's entertaining to read over and over. Find it here, of course.

What is your favorite children's book?

Out! Natural Stain and Odor Remover

One night we discovered our daughter had fallen asleep on the couch. She awoke in a very wet puddle. We spot cleaned and blotted. We sprayed carpet/upholstery cleaner on the microfiber, but the odor remained.

I did some creative searching online and discovered a forum with the answer to my problem.

The suggestion? The magical, golden solution?

Liquid enzyme and bio-culture (friendly bacteria) stain and odor remover.

Brilliant!

This is why and how it works:

The product contains special bacteria that attacks odor causing organic material. (i.e. feces, urine, vomit, etc.) You let the liquid dry overnight and it consumes the organic odors. It is perfectly safe for humans and domestic animals.

I looked in the pet section at a local store and found this to my liking--



From the Out! Interntional website:

NATURAL STAIN AND ODOR REMOVER

• Eco-sensitive alternative to harsh chemicals found in traditional household cleaners
• Made with renewable corn-based ethanol and plant-based mild cleansers in addition to beneficial bio-cultures and enzymes
• Freshened with a Herbaceous Lemon Grass Essence
• All natural fragrance works with the cleaning agents to advance pet odor removal at the source.

Voila! Our problem has been solved. Instead of urine, we smell lemon grass. It's a happy thing.

It says on the bottle that it also works for other hard to remove organic stains like red wine, grass, and even baby formula.

Look for it in these stores.

felted acorns.

I saw these incredible felted acorns on the little ant design blog. I haven't stopped thinking about them since I first saw them, perfect for gift tags or napkin rings or in a glass jar on the counter...

A Wooden Christmas

(image: Wooden Toy Bus from WoodToyShop)

This year we are going to buy our kids wooden toys for Christmas. My vision of the perfect play room includes loads of lovely wooden toys.

My first stop in my quest was, of course, Etsy. (Where else?) I am completely in love with the toys I found there.

I'm trying to narrow down my choices...

My daughter, a big fan of yellow, would really go for this darling car from smalltowntoys


I am definitely buying one of these VW's from SimpleWoodenToys. (Maybe for my husband...a kid at heart and former driver of an orange SuperBeetle.)



For my little guy who loves "panes"...two pine planes from ClickityClack.



For my wee babe, wooden stacking blocks from littlesaplingtoys.



And she'll probably need some of these, too. (I love all the blocks from cookiedough.)


The big Christmas gift for all the kids might just be a wooden kitchen.


(image via Posh Organic)

Or maybe this one could be for me.

Hello from Utah!

Hello! My name is Lindsey Johnson and I am so pleased to be over here at T+T this week.

A little bit about me...

I am a mother to three small children--a daughter who will be four next month, a two-year-old little boy, and a three-month-old baby girl.







A few months ago my family and I moved back to Utah, where I was raised, from Westchester County, NY, where I lived for 7 years.

I blog over at Cafe Johnsonia, where I post about my adventures in the kitchen--including recipes, tutorials/how-to's, pretty things I find, appliances, etc. My husband is my muse and taste tester. My kids keep me just busy enough to keep me from spending all my time in the kitchen.

My addictions:

-photography
-homemade ice cream
-pretty dishes (especially Spode)
-cookbooks
-spy shows (MI-5, or Spooks, as it is called in the UK, is my very favorite)
-anything from across the pond (I'm an anglophile through and through)

I hope it's a great week and you enjoy my posts.

frames wallpaper.

While browsing the latest catalog from Land of Nod I came across this wallpaper. I think it would be such a fun addition to a playroom or child's bedroom, inspiring creativity and showcasing their own personal style and artwork.

introducing the new puj tub!

I've been waiting patiently for months to introduce to you the latest from puj. I've seen it, experienced it and firmly believe it really does simplify parenthood. There's nothing else out there that even comes close. It's new, fresh and innovative.

I've had two babies and bath time was a stressful experience with both. The big plastic tub was bulky, unattractive and not easy to store. Without the giant plastic tub, towels lined the sinks or bathtub, leaving me with extra laundry and sopping wet towels, the bottom line, there was no easy/convenient way to bathe the baby.



That is not the case with the new puj tub. It is made of foam so it's light, soft as your babies skin, easy to clean, dries quickly and comes in a variety of pleasing colors. It stores flat so you can hang it on the back of a door or slide it in your bathroom cupboard. That's convincing enough for me, but after watching the actual bath with a brand new baby (in the first week of life) I was completely sold. The tub cradles the baby, leaving them feeling safe and secure. They don't slide away from you. You can easily maneuver the baby and the tub fits in ANY standard sink. That's right no more crouching over the bathtub stressing your back, neck and knees.



The puj tub is safe and easy to use for infants 0-6 months, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, hypoallergenic and non-toxic. Completely safe for baby and absolutely the best infant tub out there. available to purchase at pujbaby.com.

*Also worth noting, puj is currently running an exciting promotion. You can enter to win a $100 puj gift certificate for you and five of your friends. That's $600 in puj product!! Enter below and you'll receive a newsletter with all the details.

Enter Pujbaby.com $600 Giveaway Email:

tea collection {winner!}

With almost 350 entries, it's clear you love Tea as much as I do! The winner is:

hill who said: I loved just about everything they had but I think the Stav Dress would be so cute on my girls!

Congratulations hill! Please email me (tangledandtrue@gmail.com) by monday morning with your email address and I'll send your gift certificate on it's way.

babysusu.

For the last four years I have been a mother to girls, I've had no difficulty in finding what I want for them, the styles I like, the "look" I'm going for. Finding out I am pregnant with a boy quickly opened my eyes to the lack of good clothes for boys. Simply put it is difficult to find the styles and the looks I want. When I happened upon babysusu it felt like a breath of fresh air. The classic styles and understated modern detailing provide exactly the look I've been searching for.

Inspired by her two boys Susu Nguyen Hughey designs pieces that are playful and fashionable while still functional using all natural fabrics like cotton, cashmere and wool.

I love the look of the old with the new...mixing classic fabrics and styles but tweaking them just enough to make them current. Like pairing classic knickers with a quirky tee...or a simple cotton twill pant with a reverse-seam cashmere sweater. To me that is fresh and playful and something that I would want to wear myself.

If you're hoping to add some of the amazing babysusu pieces to your little man's collection, you're in luck. By entering code TRUE30 at checkout, you'll receive 30% off your purchase. Now that is something to be excited about. Classic pieces, soft, natural fabrics and 30% off, it doesn't get much better.

reader tip: finali design

Reader Annie sent me the link to this amazing etsy shop. Send pictures of your kids or your family and finali design will create your own personalized greetings. Perfect for the upcoming holidays or any time of the year really. 

Thanks Annie!

tea collection {giveaway!}

There is no better name for our brand than Tea. Tea, the drink, is shared in nearly every culture around the world-offering inspiration, warmth and mindfulness. In the same spirit, we offer children's fashions with the tagline "for little citizens of the world," celebrating the beauty found in cultures around the world.

Since having children, the Tea Collection has been my all time favorite clothing brand. Every catalog that shows up in my mailbox is devoured. Their clothes are perfect, their styling impeccable, the quality unmatched. Every Tea item Lily has ever had has been passed to Stella. It looks as good as the day we purchased it. They wash and wear better than any brand I have ever experienced.

Each collection is inspired by a different culture. They travel the world finding inspiration and providing you (the customer) with fabulous clothing you won't find anywhere else, with the goal of helping children see that we are all citizens of this world.





While Tea started in 2002 with only three pima cotton sweaters they are now found in over 500 stores and boutiques throughout the U.S. and abroad and have added lifestyle products including bedding, music and even papers (announcements and holiday cards).



Most importantly (and worth some serious excitement) today Tea is helping one lucky reader add to their favorite child's wardrobe. That's right, $100 gift certificate for the clothing of your choice. How will you decide? Will you go for the Daily Tea, or maybe Norwegian Elegance, perhaps you'll stock up on the amazing layette sets they have for the babes, no matter what you choose, I'm sure Tea will move right to the top of your favorites as well.

What is your Tea Collection item of choice?

Would you love to win? be sure to:
*enter one comment on this post - with your name
*please only enter once
*answer question above
*entry will be open until 7am Friday morning (10/23)
*winner will be announced Friday morning

**Extra Bonus: Order your holiday cards and enjoy $15 off on orders of $100 or more by using code MERRYTEA at checkout.

winter jacket.

Currently saving my pennies for one of these. Aren't they great? The colors, the styles, I love so many of them, it's going to be hard to choose.

spooky treats.

If you've never browsed the bakerella blog, it's definitely worth a look. I think these would be so fun to make. Maybe I'll try them out with the girls this week.

bob's your uncle.

I have been waiting and waiting for these alphabet cards to come out, and they were well worth the wait. Illustrated by Mark Fisher they cover everything from Anteaters to Zebras. They don't show you the typical parts of the animals but rather the details. I've always believed the best is found in the details. The backs of the cards not only show a silhouette of the full animal, but also an interesting fact about each animals unique feature. Perfect for learning and for fun!

owl tote.

Yes I am currently loving owls, but either way I think this is the perfect bag for almost any little girl.