Tiny Oranges – Fresh, fun blog for OC moms

We got the eeBoo Read To Me Tot Towers for Morgan’s 1st birthday and she loves it!!  Great gift to stash away in your memory bank if you need a birthday present for a one or two year old! However, even my 4 year old likes building the tower for her, so it really appeals to all ages.

There are 10 blocks, all with colorful images on each side.  They all nest inside each other and are made of a glossy, sturdy material that store easily in a fairly small box.

Morgan loves stacking them then knocking them down.  She will actually seek this toy out, and walk over to me with the box with that look like “mom play with this with me!!”  Very cute.  Love toys that get a lot of play time, and this is definitely one of them!

Click HERE for most nesting blocks on Amazon!

{Disclosure: Tiny Oranges is an Amazon.com affiliate!}

I can almost taste it –  the start of school! Three weeks from yesterday for us and I am ready! I LOVE the rhythm of the school week, just sort of makes everything feel more “in sync” for me.  But it also makes me feel a little stressed. Life is so busy these days. Activities, play dates, appointments. I thought some of you might be feeling the same way, so I wanted to share some amazingly CUTE, personalized Erin Condren calendars to help you get organized as we head into Fall.  And I have a $50 gift card to Erin Condren to give away to one lucky reader too!! Make sure to read the last paragraph below on how to enter.

Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t live without my iPhone and it’s calendar, but to me, I just FEEL more organized when I can look at things I have hand-written on a calendar.  It’s weird, because when I write it down {old-school in my very own handwriting} it’s almost like my brain remembers it better!

Right now I am typing this and looking at my Erin Condren Jumbo Calendar that hangs on my wall. My favorite. Big, cute graphics, and says our family name at the top.   My favorite wall calendar ever!   Order now you and you will get the rest of 2010 and all of 2011.   This is a necessity in my home office. Look how cute…

Erin has created a calendar/planner for just about everyone!

Her Daily Life Planners are the perfect planner to throw in your purse or diaper bag. Featuring one week that spans two pages, you can easily flip through to see your week-at-glance and keep your to-dos, appointments and goals easily managed.  And you can put the cute mugs of your kiddos on the cover!!  Love it.  Again, order now and get the rest of 2010 and all of 2011.

So I already have the life planner & jumbo, but it looks like this one is going to be a necessity as well!   Her Weekly Schedule Pad desk calendar allows you to organize week-by-week, then you can tear off the sheet and hang for the entire family to see. Love this idea too!  Going to pick one up for my desk.

So, now is the time to GET ORGANIZED!!!  Daily, weekly, monthly or one of each!  One thing is for sure, with an Erin Condren calendar, she will make your planning HAPPY with her fun, bright, personalized designs.

Click here to start your shopping!

Hooray!  It’s a Tiny Giveaway!!

One lucky reader will win a $50 gift card to use on www.erincondren.com.  Contest runs through August 31, 2010 at 5pm PST.  I will post the winner on my Facebook page on 9/1.  Please leave a separate comment for each entry & leave your email address too so I can contact you if you win.  Entry options are:

1. Click here, browse the calendars and tell me: Which would be your choice? – 1 ENTRY

2. {Like} Erin Condren on Facebook – 1 ENTRY

3. Follow @ErinCondren on Twitter – 1 ENTRY

4. {Like} Tiny Oranges on Facebook – 1 ENTRY

5. Follow @TinyOrangesOC on Twitter - 1 ENTRY

6. Subscribe to Tiny Oranges Email Updates – 1 ENTRY

{Disclosure: Tiny Oranges is an Erin Condren affiliate…but my love affair with her products started long before!}

I know a product is great when my sister (whose baby is the same age as mine) buys ME something she loves for her little guy!  She originally fell in love with these Hanna Andersson Night Night Baby Sleepers when she lucked out and found them at Costco.  She loved them so much, she went back and bought Morgan two pairs!

They are GREAT baby jammies. The best I have found in my 4 years of outfitting little ones for sleep!

First off, I will only do sleepers with a ZIPPER because my little one is a total wiggle-worm these days.  Changing her diaper or clothes means I have to be FAST.  There is simply no time for snaps! Good zipper jammies are hard to find, it’s crazy, so when she found these we were hooked.

Second, they are made out of silky organic cotton, so they are soft and cozy, and have a snug fit.  I also like that they are footless for the summer, as I have been putting her in these, then a light sleep sack and don’t have to worry she is too hot in footsies.

Lastly, they have the CUTEST prints. Super stylish & fun.  To me, nothing is cuter than seeing a little one toddling around in their jammies.

They are $25,  you can find them online at the www.hannaandersson.com.  And, if anyone else sees them at Costco ever, comment here, as I would dash over to snatch up some pairs for the next size up!

This toy has gotten a LOT of use over the last 2 years so I wanted to share.  It is called the Water Works Travel Drawing Board and is great for many reasons.  Because the drawing is done with WATER, meaning that you fill up the little pens with water, you can do an art project on the floor, on the couch, in the car, basically ANYWHERE without worrying about staining clothes or the carpet!

The water draws on and makes an impression, then slowly fades after about a minute. You can also flip it over and make a new picture on the reverse side while the other side is drying.

I love that my baby can use it to “scribble” and my 4-year-old can practice writing her letters she is learning at Whiz Kids! Love a toy that can be used by both kids!

Great gift for any child ages 1 and up.

So I took Emma last weekend into Lakeshore Learning Store in Fountain Valley and the place is so awesome I had to write about it.   In Orange County, Lakeshore Learning also has a store in Laguna Niguel.  Have you guys been there before??  I was looking to buy her a little writing board and dry erase markers like they have at Whiz Kids and let me tell you, that was the place to go!  Lots of items (including the board I was looking for) were 20% off since they were having a Back to School sale now through Sept. 5th. Score!

I seriously could have spent 3 hours going through the place.  As a mega teacher’s supply store, there are toys, games, and activities for all ages and just the coolest finds.

I ended up with more than a writing board however!

We found a cute little birdhouse she can paint herself to put in our backyard, a Design-Your-Own Calendar to write in the dates that can be decorated, and stocked up on construction paper and paint.  You know, things to keep us busy at home for the next 6 weeks until preschool starts up again.

Definitely worth the drive to check out this store in person.  Great place for birthday gifts too. Tons of unique items you don’t see in the regular stores, and lots of fun educational stuff.

But take it from me,  budget extra time for browsing!