Category: Gifts and Objects

Advent Grab Bags Are Pretty Fun

** SOLD OUT ** See you next year!

mightygirladvent

Making happy things! For happy fun times!

Advent Grab Bags are ready to order. The kit is a tiny Santa bag with a blindfold included. Every night, you or your kiddo can reach in for something that will make you nostalgic for your childhood.

Parents, this means you will not have to drive to three different stores to find toys that don’t have licensed cartoon characters on them. Big kids, you will not have to buy a dozen wishing fish just to get one for your significant other. Merry Christmas.

This year 20 percent of proceeds go to IntraHealth International. We hope to donate enough for a one-year training scholarship for two nurses. Those nurses go to a community that doesn’t have enough access to health workers, and then people can get better when they get sick. Ideal.

We only made 100, and unless demand is unexpectedly intense from the get-go, that’s all we’ll have time to make. So if you think you want one, get one! They are super fun.

Order Your Advent Grab Bag
Ages 4 and up
$35, plus shipping
20% of profits support IntraHealth (Hooray!)

Advent Calendar Grab Bags

adventkit2

I know Halloween hasn’t even happened yet, but this is just a heads up. I’m making advent calendar grab bags again this year. So you finish glue-gunning your costume together while I stock up on rocket balloons and mini airplane gliders.

Twenty percent of the proceeds will go to a global health charity, I’ll let you know who when I have specifics. Unless there’s unexpectedly bonkers demand, I’m only planning to make a hundred or so, so mark your calendars for Monday November 2 and I’ll meet you back here.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. If you haven’t decided on a costume yet, allow me to suggest sexy ghost.

Auto-Filling, Self-Tie Water Balloons Are Epic

This changes everything. Everything, I tell you!

These are the genius Bunch O Balloons Self Tie Auto Fill Water Balloons.

Last year on Independence Day we spent several tedious hours filling and tying water balloons much more slowly than the kids went through them. That meant hovering kids fighting over the next balloon, hurt fingers, and no chance to actually participate in balloon throwing. This year, filling 100 balloons literally took a few minutes. Here’s the video I took:

Can you believe it? Amaaaazing. I immediately tried to figure out how to make my own, and the answer is “not worth it.” The balloons auto-seal with one of those little rubber bands that come with mouth braces. Each balloon works out to about 17 cents, which I’ve decided is a small price to pay to get back to my frozen beverage.

Toys that are Good for Baby Brains, 0-6 Months

I’ve been doing research on toys that are good for Ozzy’s brain, so we have them around when he hits new stages. These are some pretty versions of classic toys that get baby synapses dancing, whether you’re looking for your kiddo or just want to win a baby shower.

1. Manhattan Toy Classic Baby Beads Wood Rattle, Teether, and Clutching Toy, $10 This is one of my favorite baby shower gifts. The balls move around in a mezmerizing way, and it’s so pretty. Also supportive of LGBT friends, which is always nice.

2. Melissa & Doug Color-Flap Mirror, $10 It’s good to have lots of mirrors. I also like this simple Wimmer-Ferguson crib mirror with black and white shapes on the reverse, and these Edushape geometric mirrors for the bath. The downside being mirrors in the bath.

3. Nuby Click Links, $5 These are more useful than I’d ever have thought. The baby plays with them and chews them, but you can also use them to hang toys from carseats, strollers, and cribs. Bam, insta play gym wherever you are.

4. Green Tones Polar Bear Shaker, $9 Good for chewing, shaking, and reminding your newborn that the Earth is a precious resource.

5. Plan Toys Play Gym, $66 Looks boring, I know, but Oslo finds it borderline overstimulating. He loses his mind kicking and cooing, and then konks out. He’s way into spare modernist design.

6. Infantino Textured Multi-Ball Set, $9 I was going to keep these in a glass bowl on the living room table, until I realized how overtly stupid that would be. I haven’t slept in a while.

7. FAO Schwarz Mini Plush Elephant, $12 FAO Schwarz makes the best small softies, which babies can grab and shake without smacking themselves in the face. I also love the unicorn.

Babies at this age apparently also benefit from hearing simple songs and nursery rhymes, and seeing photos of faces. I’ll do a few more of these toy roundups for different stages. If you’re interested, here are some great toy recommendation guidelines from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Grow baby brains, grow!