Here are two of our very dear friends, Jesse and Krista, whom we just visited in chicago. This is at the baby shower, when Krista opened her new custom diaper bag. She requested something red and modern. More detail photos coming later.
In our conversations, we shared many of things we learned and discovered the year fyn was born. Below is a listing of our favorites. Most of our small toys are stashed in baskets tucked onto a bookcase made by my grandpa, Louis Velting. I'm working on a list on Pinterest too.
Nova - for wood toys, including the paddlewheel boat! Wooden bowl, cup and spoon. Also has some great ideas about play and beautiful photos. The kitchen inspired our own kitchen, but you might like this diy project too! Beeswax block crayons and Stadler watercolors. Wood lawn mower.
Magic Cabin - wool felt, beeswax sheets, gnomes treehouse, pocket gnomes, tree blocks, balance board.
Palumba - Camden Rose is the company in Ann Arbor that sells via this catalog. We loved the wood iron and clothing rack, and the idea for a wicker laundry basket, clothesline and pins, enamel basin and washboard (found elsewhere). They also have a nice wood teether/rattle.
soft animals and wool veggies - These were fairly easy to make from felted wool sweaters or needle felting
wooden barn and farm animals - our is from Melissa and Doug, but I dream of the stable from Nova... A friend knitted the farm animals from a Debby Bliss pattern and I ordered some wood chickens and horses from etsy.
Birch Leaf Designs - some friends on etsy for wood teether, teething necklace (mom or pop wears it and baby chews on it, we bought and used a couple of these!). wood spoon, playsilks, play clips, parachute man, watercolor jars and painting board. They make a mini picnic table too, which we love, but is not posted, perhaps for shipping reasons.
Little Sapling Toys - on etsy, for wood stacker, organic wood column set
Wooden cars and trucks - thrifted
Small table and chairs - an endtable and some thrifted stools recovered to look like mushrooms
Dolls - made by my mom and one gifted. Nova has nice basic dolls that are similar to waldorf dolls at a much lower price and a really nice wood doll stroller too. I made a sling so fyn can carry his babies too.
Push toy and pull toy - thrifted
Rocking chair and rocking horse - thrifted
Musical Instruments - a child sized djembe drum, bongos, a xylophone (nova?), shakers (can use plastic bottles with lentils, rice or beans inside and electrical tape to seal), bells, tambourines, ukelele, and other wooden rhythm instruments, found at fair trade shops or thrifted.
Bath toys - rubber ducky, chain and stacking cups from discovery toys (went to a party and had to buy something), misc squirt bottles from recycling
Needle felting - I picked up a new craft and really love how simple and intuitive it is. Etsy is a good source for supplies and inspiration.
Children's books- at one of my showers, people brought their favorites. I found we only needed a few at home and could get the rest from the library, even board books. Tommy started reading Huckleberry Finn to both of us when little f was a tiny baby and now that he's 3, he listens to a chapter of pooh each night.
Gerda Mueller - wordless seasonal books, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter are our top favorites for making up our own stories or just observing the pictures.
Sybille von Olfers - The root children, the princess in the forest, other seasonal "children" books
Elsa Beskow - so many beautifully illustrated stories that we love.
Old Mother West Wind - great stories about animals, like "why the chipmunk wears stripes".
magazines
Mothering
Living Crafts
books
You are your child's first teacher - a good reference for basic parenting concepts
Heaven on earth - establishing family culture and rhythms
Seven times the sun - daily and seasonal rhythms
A Child's Seasonal Treasury - nice collection of fingerplays, poems and songs organized by season
Grimm's fairy tales - there's a guide of which ages are best for which stories in "You are your Child's First Teacher".
Wool toys - for needle felted animals
websites
www.soulemama.com
www.theparentingpassageway.com
www.peaceofmindparenting.com
www.simplicityparenting.com
www.rhythmofthehome.com
Nursing -
Motherhood Maternity nursing tank - I bought several in many colors and wore them out! They have a second layer of fabric underneath so you can pull over the top layer w/o giving a total show. The sleep bra worked well for me too.
Organic velour nursing pads like these
Bella band - a most brilliant invention for early to late maternity and nursing too b/c it covers your belly!
Each year added a few things for birthday and christmas, thanks to our families. They are still in use even now that fyn is three and I expect to have them around for a long time!
Wishing all the best to Krista and Jesse as they prepare to welcome Baby A and Baby B to their lives and their home!
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