Jump Jump Jump: a Baby Toy Review by Duck Momma

Being a first time mommy is such a huge change in my life. There are so many things you have to learn, and so quickly! One of the biggest challenges, I think is knowing what baby gear you need, or want, or want to avoid. We have been very lucky and been able to borrow or reuse some great baby items. We also have done our fair share of buying baby things too. When we did buy things, the reviews were so helpful. Do people need this? Do they like it? Does it work? Am I ridiculous for looking at this? What are we having for dinner. . . wait. . .

So I have decided that I want to share some of the things I have stumbled upon and my thoughts. Hopefully they will be helpful and if not, maybe at least entertaining. First on the docket, our jumperoo. We bought this for Goose for Christmas, she was about 4 months.
Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo

This has been fantastic for us. It took Goose about 2 weeks to really figure out what she was supposed to do in it. I tried helping her bounce and got excited at every attempt and before you know it, she started jump, jump, jumping. She has literally spent over an hour just jumping and fiddling with the toys. She loves it.

It does have a sound option with a couple little lights.  I have tried to minimized on features like these, I want Goose to learn to play and not just be entertained. That being said, these are really not bad. The sound rewards the jumping and the animal sounds are kind of cute.  Most importantly, you can switch them off, and it doesn't affect the jumping ability or other toys.

Its a little on the big size, but its not too bad since its stationary. You don't need a door frame. It is movable (nice for vacuuming day). It is relatively easy to get baby in and out. It is adjustable in height, so as baby grows, you can raise it! I did have to give Goose a folded blanket to stand on a first, but as she grew and the springs relaxed a bit, I could move the blanket away!

Overall, I love this toy. It entertains her without me needing to be hands on. So mommy can wash dishes or vacuum or dust. . . wait why did I want two hands . . . Its fun to react to her bouncing. Bonus: it wears her out!There is nothing like watching those little feet go either. I have so many pictures and videos. This is brilliant!

This is how you know its a good toy. Sacked out!

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April Showers by Duck Momma

Its only warmed up a few degrees and I'm jumping up and down! I cannot wait for spring! I want to throw open my windows and clear out the winter gloom. In all my excitment, I started thinking about how much I love spring rain. It makes me so happy. So I decided to make my own version of a rain stick for Goose. I wanted it to be interesting to touch, see, and hear.

I started with an empty oatmeal container. I used dry brown rice and little navy beans for my "rain". I used more rice than beans, but I played with lots of different options before deciding on this. I glued the lid on tight after adding "rain" and taped it for good measure. I wrapped the whole pod in blue satin like material I had laying about. I sort of wrapped it like a gift or candy, sewing it tightly at one end.

I then added felt clouds and stitched them with a blanket stitch and lightly stuffed them to make them puffy. I cut out blue felt rain drops and sewed them on but left the ends floppy so they can be tugged on. I was so pleased with the end result, and so was Goose! Altough I think it will be much more interesting when we can actually observe and talk about rain later down the road.

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Upcycle project 2: Mmm Strawberries by Duck Momma

I am so excited about this project.  I love strawberries. Not only are they one of my favorite foods, but they always inspire a feeling of summer and family. My mom and I pick strawberries every year and spend a day making the most amazing freezer jam. (I will be coming back to this closer to strawberry time, it will be little Goose's first year!) It has always been special to me.

These adorable little berries are made from a pair of pajamas that had a worn hole in the toe. I couldn't fix the hole but I saw a whole (yay puns!) new opportunity. Not only do I love the berries as I mentioned, I love simple toys. I want Goose to learn about her world and use her imagination. I also love cooking and I want to share that with her. Finally we love The Very Hungry Caterpillar and I am working on tangible "food" to count and observe as he eats!

• So with all that inspiration I started out by cutting out all the whole strawberries. and trimming them up.
• Next I stitched them back to back using a blanket stitch, (thanks Tomato Momma!) and began stuffing.
• It was then just a matter of repeating until I was finished! And 9 berries later, I have a very happy baby.

They are squishy and easy to hold. She was so excited about them, talk about success! Her selection of felt and cloth food is growing and hopefully so is her mind! We have already had so much playing with these fun little bites, I can't wait for the next wave of inspiration.

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