Toys Toys Toys!

We can never get enough of toys for our twins, triplets or kids in general. I wrote about a new annex to one of my favorite stores, for Red Tricycle, and wanted to make sure all of you saw the news!

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Now that the holiday season is upon us, is there anything better than a family-owned eco-conscious toy store packed with all our favorite playthings? You bet—when the parent-owners open up a second shop. Izilla Toys has launched a new Wallingford Center annex, which made its debut last week. Izilla tells us this is a “holiday annex”— what better reason to tackle that holiday gift list? This location isn’t a permanent one yet, but we think Izilla will receive such a warm welcome, that they will keep it open year round. Stocked with oodles of the same enchanting goodies you’ll find at the other location — Playmobil, PlanToys, Haba and more. We were tickled to see the Wallingford Izilla boasts a huge collection of Uglydolls. Of course, they have some traditional dolls, too, and they’ve stocked up on wooden toys galore. Toy selections satisfy kids of all ages — from wee ones to your near-tweens. Stockings will need stuffing soon, and Izilla already has plans in the works for Santa photos. Wallingford Center is transforming one of their outdoor patios into a Christmas tree and wreath store — a perfect backdrop for those not-yet-in-the-works holiday card photos. So get ho-ho-hopping to Izilla!

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What other toy stores in Seattle do you love?

Get a Move On....

I was sorting through the attic in search of some old dress-up clothes, and found a few boxes we never unpacked when we bought our home here 12 years ago. This made me want to share a little eco-friendly blurb I did for Red Tricycle. Hopefully you, or someone you know, can benefit from these Seattle solutions!

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Whether you are moving next door, over the bridge, or across the country, preparing to bundle up those toys and treasures you’ve gathered over the years can be a nightmare. Shuddering at the thought of bug-infested boxes your S.O. picked up off Craigslist? Seattle now has not one, but two solutions to this pesky problem — enter Frogbox and karmaboxx.
Reusable plastic Frogboxes offer eco-friendly, shiny green moving containers, totes and wardrobes, while blue-hued karmaboxxes made from recycled materials are regularly disinfected and reused hundreds of times. Both companies let you order online and deliver boxes ready for you to pack — no assembly required. And talk about full-service—they’ll even pick them up at your new digs after the move.
In keeping true to their names, Frogbox donates 1% of gross revenues to frog habitat restoration, including our very own Woodland Park Zoo, and karmaboxx donates 2% to a variety of community-suggested local charities.
So, when your kids take over the home office or your start-up begins expanding, set a good example by enlisting these companies for your corporate needs. Motivation bonus: You can’t delay unpacking knowing the boxes need to be returned. Clean up those carbon footprints and get a move on—literally.
http://www.frogbox.com
http://www.karmaboxx.com/

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Recycling Baby Gear

Whether you are shopping for your first baby, your first set of twins, or other siblings, it is possible (and FUN!) to purchase gear used in the Seattle area, without having to spend a lot of time or money.

We are interested in where you go, what you buy and how. Thrift Stores? Stores like Goodwill and Value Village? Or are you a Craigslist or Freecycle junkie?

Follow us on  Twitter and let us know!
 

Seattle Twin Clothing Sale -- not just for Twins

Children's Clothing and Equipment Fall Sale

Saturday, September 26, 2009
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Aurora Church of the Nazarene
1900 N 175th Street
Shoreline, WA 98133

Only cash and checks accepted

What to be for Halloween? How about Green?

We love that a Seattle-area mom started the 'green', healthier, more eco-friendly path to having a green Halloween! Check out her press release here.


Check out Seattle Thrift stores for ideas for your twins. We recycled old red sleepers, blue ski hats, and used some recycled office supplies to make costumes for our twins.

Our son, however, did get a new Cat-in-the-Hat costume.

Our rule is, do what you can, when you can. If recycling and reusing are not convenient at the moment, just make a promise to yourself, your kids and your family to try again, while staying sane and enjoying the time you have! Happy Halloween.

Seattle Parents of Multiples - Got Twins in Seattle?

Whether you live in Seattle, in the US, or somewhere far away from our tiny community online, we'd love to share some of our parenting tips with you. This week, we talk about strollers. Our advice? Don't invest a lot of cash until babies are at least 6 months old. You can get by with a double snap-n-go style stroller, just drop the infant car seats with your twin babies in the stroller and you are good to go.

Later, we will talk about various types and styles of double strollers, from jogging styles to fold-up lightweight shopping styles. Tandem or side-by-side? Stay tuned.

What goes up might come down!

Let's face it -- you spent some time this holiday season at the mall, along with groups of midriff-baring teens. Never fear, your Little One won't be caught with his pants down -- or her shirts creeping up. We've found a trendy Seattle solution to baggy drawers that will keep Little One covered up and looking sharp. Enter Tinybigs.com. These magnetic works of art literally defy gravity by holding bottoms up and tops down. During the holidays, Grandma is sure to have lavished Junior with chic outfits, all guaranteed to be a size or two too big. Don't go digging for those gift receipts -- Tinybigs to the rescue! Dive into those designer duds now and secure them in place with Tinybigs.
Tinybigs come in both an ornamental magnetic style that clips pants to shirt, and a Creeper style (think onesie with attached suspender). No more tucking in Junior's shirts or donning yet another pair of overalls (yawn) to keep skin from showing. Like the best of inventions, Tinybigs was created out of necessity by Seattle Mom Keri Schroeder. Keri tells us that Tinybigs should be in Seattle stores soon and even tougher toddler models are in the works! Hip (covered) hip hooray!
http://www.tinybigs.com
Tinybigs Accessory: $16 plus $6 shipping
Tinybigs Creepers: $18 plus $6 shipping