Top 10 Baby Shower Gifts

Helping a friend or family member prepare for their new baby is a fun privilege and responsibility. Show them you care by picking up one of these helpful gifts for mom and dad. All of these items are 100% new-mom recommended.

1. Twilight Turtle

Twilight Turtle is a fun nightlight that projects starry constellations onto your child’s ceiling. You can choose from three soothing colors of light, whichever you feel is most restful. As your child grows older, Twilight Turtle becomes a great learning tool to a correlation between their bedroom ceiling and the actual night sky.

2. HABA Wonder Dice

For early stacking, HABA’s Wonder Dice fit the bill perfectly. The soft pieces are easy to pick up and are crafted from brightly colored fabrics of engaging patterns and textures.

3. Beco Baby Carrier

Beco combines perfect ergonomics, excellent weight distribution and stylish design from top quality fabrics. Each carrier is handmade in the USA by a skilled seamstress in facilities which apply high social and economical standards.

4. Lock and Rock Shakers

These colorful noisemakers are perfect for the tiniest musicians. You can lock them together for one large shaker, or snap them apart to enjoy individually. As the child grows older, they’re great for sharing with friends in a pretend-play band.

5. HABA Sevilla Blocks

Every child needs a great set of blocks - and Sevilla Blocks by HABA are the best. They are exquisitely crafted from solid beech wood and are colored with water-based vegetable dyes. Even if the baby is inheriting a set of blocks from an older sibling, Sevilla Blocks make exceptional accent pieces. Very much reminiscent of a Gaudi structure, each block is brightly colored and adorned with fantastic sensory-stimulating patterns, bells and reflective surfaces.

6. Kathe Kruse

All of Kathe Kruse’s baby toys, blankets and cloth dolls are responsibly made by hand in Europe from the highest quality materials.

7. Wee Gallery Art Cards

Wee Gallery Art Cards are created from bold, whimsical, hand-painted original art that cater to a baby's visual strengths. These high-contrast illustrations are perfect for stimulating new eyes and minds.

8. Sleep Sheep

Sleep Sheep plays soothing ambient noise to help your baby sleep. Soothing rain and a mother’s heart beat are two of the five options from which to choose.

9. Tutim NYC Toy & Paci Sitters

These fashionable little straps are the epitome of functional. They feature beautifully patterned cloth and snaps in lieu of chunky plastic clips. Just attach them to your baby’s favorite toys and pacifiers to keep them off the ground. All of TutimNYC’s products are carefully crafted in the USA.

10. Mozart Magic Cube

Kids love buttons and instant feedback. The Mozart Magic Cube entertains a wide range of ages. Press the buttons to hear a Mozart piece play. You can add and subtract the instruments you hear by continuing to press any of the large buttons on any side of the cube. The lights and sounds are engaging, and it's a great way for a child to dissect the instrumentation of one of history'sgreatest composers.

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Extraordinary Gifts: Kathe Kruse

  
It all began with a mother and her daughter. Kathe Kruse, founder of the toy company Kathe Kruse, handmade her first doll in 1905 for her daughter Maria. The doll quickly became Maria’s favorite plaything, so Kathe made a few more. As word spread that a local mother was crafting beautiful dolls for young children, she began to receive orders all around town. When she could no longer make each doll herself in her living room, she hired local skilled artisans to keep up with the demand. Since the company’s modest beginnings over 100 years ago, Kathe Kruse has been hand-making safe and beautiful children products.

To this day, all of Kathe Kruse’s products are responsibly made by hand in Europe from the highest quality materials. The fabrics they choose are beautifully patterned and feature great sensory and textural stimulation for little hands, eyes and ears. An added feature is that all products from Kathe Kruse’s baby line are machine washable and can withstand the test of time.

In a modern world when everything is rushed and mass-manufactured, it is nice to know that tradition still carries on. Kathe Kruse is still a family-run business, which adheres to Kathe’s long-time motto: "With the tradition in our hearts, we move to the future".

If you’re looking for a lovingly made baby gift or uniquely crafted cloth doll, Kathe Kruse is sure to impress.

Kathe Kruse products were recently featured on our Top 10 Handmade Toys List. Check out who else made the cut!

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Top 10 Handmade Toys

"The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst beautiful things." - PLATO

 Quality and care are synonymous with each of the handmade items featured in our top handmade toys list. We encourage you to read about the creation processes of each of these brilliant companies, as we know that you'll appreciate them for the same reasons that we do:  beauty, care, quality, longevity and play value.  

1. Cate & Levi

MADE IN CANADA. Each piece by Cate & Levi is handcrafted in an artist studio in Toronto, Canada. All of the reclaimed materials are sourced locally as to reduce the company’s impact on the environment. Cate & Levi take great pride in the individuality of each item that is handcrafted with care.

2. Kathe Kruse

MADE IN GERMANY. Kathe Kruse has been handcrafting dolls and baby toys in Europe since 1905. Their attention to detail through every step in the manufacturing process is what sets them apart from other companies in the market.

3. Luna Organics

MADE IN THE USA. Luna Organics face paints are handmade in New Hampshire using natural mineral pigments. They are hypoallergenic, gentle on the skin and FDA-approved.

4. Ellie Bellie Kids

MADE IN THE USA.  Ellie Bellie Kids (EBK) is a Baltimore-based company. Founded by local mother, Jennifer Cooper, EBK strives to provide the highest quality classic play items for children. Each piece in their product line is handmade in Maryland by local artisans.

5. Yellow Label Kids

HANDMADE WORLDWIDE. Each one of Yellow Label Kids’ products are made by hand by artisans worldwide who are paid living wages, in accordance with Fair Trade practices. Many of the artisans are mothers and use their work as a means to support their families.

6. Peculiar Pets

MADE IN THE USA. Peculiar Pets are handmade in North Carolina using repurposed vintage afghans. Each pet is uniquely embellished with felt cutouts to accentuate each pet’s individual personality.

7. eco-kids

MADE IN THE USA. eco-kids eco-dough and eco-paint are made using all-natural ingredients. Their products’ beautiful colors are extracted from all-natural vegetable sources such as beets, carrots and berries.

8. The Earth Friends

MADE IN THE USA. Each of the Earth Friends are handmade from either recycled or organic fabrics right here in the USA. Their eco-friendly business practices are a core value to the company, and each friend features a tree planting kit in their backpack.

9. Let's Play Mail!

MADE IN THE USA. The playful, slouchy design of Let’s Play Mail felt mailboxes make them a charming addition to any playroom. The cute letters and mailbag that accompany the mailbox feature hand screen-printed illustrations.

 10. Camden Rose

MADE IN THE USA & Peru. Each item by Camden Rose is meticulously constructed by craftspeople that specialize in their art. Their products are not mass-produced, rather they are created one-by-one, the old-fashioned way. They use all-natural materials ranging from solid wood to yarn.

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Fiona's the Baby!

Fiona's big gift for her first birthday from Grammie was the Haba Doll Pram. When we bought it, I pictured her sweetly pushing around her Käthe Kruse baby dolls, taking care of them and giving them kisses. Oh, how wrong I was! Apparently, Fiona isn't quite ready for mothering. The baby dolls and pillows quickly hit the floor and Fiona ended up in the carriage!

The greatest thing about classic, high quality toys is that they evolve with the child and family. I know that this pram will be played with many ways, for many years and by many children. Oh, and it doesnt hurt that it's so darn pretty.

Royally Cute

These Kathe Kruse dolls are just too cute, don't you think? They are the same scale as the PLAN Toys dollhouses we carry, so any dollhouse can become a castle with this royal set and just a little imagination!

Remember to leave a comment in the last post for a chance to win a Quadrilla set just in time for the holidays!