Give Away with Little Alouette

Little Alouette  is a fantastic shop which makes the most darling wooden teethers! Located in Colombus, Ohio and made from locally sourced hardwoods and finished with organic flaxseed oil. Their designs are so fun and original. I love that some of their teethers are super simple and others are fun figures like the ones below.
If you know a little one that needs a little stocking stuffer or three- these are the best! Not only are they safe and Made in the USA, but they also grow with a child in a way that a standard plastic ring can't. These wooden wonders can be a teether,  toddler carry along, and then a fun figure to make roar and run! Love toys that grow with you and aren't just stage specific!!
Available through their etsy shop. Free shipping on all teethers right now!!
Want one to be yours-

  here is the game this time....
Go to their blog leave a comment and you could win one of their fabulous teethers!!

Apple Picking

What would fall be without Apple Picking!
 

Here are a few of the places we are dying to try ! If you've been, please tell us how they are.

Snow- Line Farms is a family operated farm located within a two hour drive of LA.

The reason why I want to go so badly- Cider Doughnuts!

Riley Farms

Riley Farms is also a family operated farm.  Not only do they have a variety of U- Pick Orchards throughout the year but an abundance of living history type entertainment. 55 of the 760 acres on this family farm are dedicated to agriculture, education, and living history interpretaion of Colonial America,  including both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars,  as well as the California Gold Rush. The farm has been in the family for well over a hundred years.

We are going to visit the farm later in October and will be posting all about it. But in the meantime, we thought we would tell you what we know right now so you too can plan your trip if you so wish. Riley Farms has an extensive website outlining all of their various activites. And they recommend you peruse this first so you are aware of all the activites offered on the day that you wish to visit. Some of the activites such as Sleepy Hollow (we are doing that and apple picking!!!) recommend that tickets be purchased in advance as they sell out quickly.
There is a bakery, restaurant, U pick, and a variety of other activites.


I love this picture below- it's very Red Riding Hood meets the Village!

Autumn

 

picture from Genius Beauty.com

It's fall!! Well offically it was fall last week, but we were just so busy with all those costumes that we missed it. But this week- this week we will give this wonderful season it's due! Foliage, apple picking, corn mazes, pumpkin patches... It's all just so much F-U-N!!!

New England Foliage

Visting New England during the peak foliage is something everyone should do! To get us in the mood for this week's ode to fall fun: A poem by Winifred Sackville Stoner, Jr.:

 Poem found on:

Apples4Teachers.com

Autumn, Queen of Year

by Winifred Sackville Stoner, Jr.

When the pumpkins are so yellow And the vines with grapes abound, When the melons are so mellow And the nuts fall to the ground; When persimmons lose their bitters, And the apples are so red; When we love to eat corn fritters Since the roasting ears have fled; When vacation days are over And the children go to school, They no longer play in clover, But much learn "Arithmos-rule," When weird Hallowe'en's most naughty elves With gnomes and sprites appear, While fat Thanksgiving fills the shelves - 'Tis AUTUMN, QUEEN OF YEAR.

And here is just a taste of the beauty this season. Enjoy!!

(pictures from About.com)

Oh and if you want to take your own pictures check out this tutorial on About.com for taking great autumn pics everytime!

(photos from Vermont Only)

More great pictures can be found at: http://www.vtonly.com/guest_fall_photos.htm

and you can add your own!

Bandicoot Lapin Costumes

 

(featured in this months' lmnop NYC travel guide)

Sometimes it feels as if all costumes today are disposible, petroleum- based, boring creations. How many pink fairy princesses does the world really need? What fun is it if everyone is in the same costume?  These costumes from French maker Bandicoot Lapin will assure that you have a costume that is original. The wonderful 100% cotton fabric not only assure that the costume will be comfortable, these costumes will withstand being worn over and over and over and over. . . .

With costumes like these, children could wear their costumes as often as they like and you won't be embarrassed to be seen with them. Certain to start a conversation with everyone who you meet!

 The costumes are sized by age range, not clothing size. Most costumes are available for ages 4 through 6 and ages 6 through 8. Some are available in ages 2 through 4. Prices range from $57 - $198.

They are only available (as far as we can tell) through NYC boutique John Derian Dry Goods.

Please call their  Dry Goods shop at 212.677.8408 for information and availability.

Woven Play

I have had a crush on this company for some time. Ever since I first laid eyes on the picture above, I can't get enough of their creations. Something about that picture seems to encapsulate wonder for me. I like to believe this picture was not styled or posed, but rather a true glimpse into what it is to be a child. Childhood is something often rhapsodizes about, people flipping through all the same words that fit our idea of what it should be. For me, childhood is a time of unfettered openness. Openness to the world, love, ourselves and our ideas. Before we got lost in logic and reason,  we believed.
Woven Play will make you believe again!

Super Hero Hat

For your little super heroes, a hat that doubles as a mask from ATYPYK!  Oh, how we love practical costumes!

Batman Costume

This great Batman costume was found at always perfect Estella NYC. It's gone now- BOO!! But hopefully they will get some more fabulous costumes in soon!

Halloween

Image by riptheskull via Flickr

Last week, we featured adults who hadn't lost their childlike sense of wonder and adventure. What better way to transition to Halloween than to feature adults who make Halloween a real event! Halloween has long been the holiday where just about everyone not only remembers their inner child- but they let them out to play too!

This fun video clip from History Channel features the designers for Superior Concept. The artists here (along with many volunteers) create some of the fabulous puppets for New York's Village Halloween Parade.

Park(ing) Day LA

Park(ing) Day LA

This third annual  event will "bring together a diverse constituency of community groups, neighborhood councils, design & architecture firms, professional organizations, non-profits, cyclists & pedestrian advocates as they work together to transform numerous parking spaces & parking lots located throughout LA into ephemeral parks for the day. By occupying a parking spot and feeding the meter, volunteers will enhance the street with a sustainably designed pocket-park. " - Park(ing) Day LA website

CoolHaus

CoolHaus 
Marrying ice cream and design the ladies at Coolhaus have cornered the hip market on Ice Cream!
They will be at Park(ing) Day LA. Find them at Alameda and Traction.

Find them on Twitter.
Fun Pics

Playscapes

Playscapes is a great blog featuring wonderful outdoor spaces for children throughout  Europe and the US. There are generally weekly offerings of some of the best designers for childrens' spaces from around the world. Last week she posted about the fabulous Tate Modern Exhibit in London.

"American minimalist Robert Morris's Bodyspacemotionthings originally appeared at the Tate Modern in the 1970s, but was closed after only four days due to irrational exuberance by museum goers."-playscapes.

Quote and photos, both modern and vintage, from the guardian.

Happy Happy

Happy Happy is an exhibition by Korean artist Choi Jeong- Hwa.  Located in the center of LACMA's  BP Grand Entrance this site specific installation was created for the exhibition Your Bright Future: 12 Contemporary Artists from Korea.  Hurry, Hurry and stop by before it closes on the 20th! It's a real treat. Children who viewed it this past Sunday while we were there created no fewer than 10 games incorpating the installation into their play.  Vistiors are allowed to walk through and be caught inside the floor-to-ceiling of strands of thousands household containers from local 99¢ stores.

No Impact Man

No Impact Man  which opened in many theaters throughout the country last Friday. The movie chronicles the journey of a New Yorker, his wife, and their two year old daughter. Set over the course of a year, the goal was to leave no footprint for the entire year. Bye, bye subway, electricity, coffee, eating out, food not grown locally. Hello bike, washing laundry in the tub, farmer's markets.  A film for those who love all things green and those who love a good adventure!

Low Impact Woodland House

This house was built by the owner and his father in law. With a little help from friends. The house was built with "maximum regard for the environment and reciprocation gives us a unique and cozy home.  This house feels like the perfect place to curl up and read "The Hobbit"

All Grown- Ups were Children first...

but few remember it.
-The Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
This week I would like to feature adults who haven't forgotten!

Jesper K Thompsen

FOUND in lmnop: Danish designer Jesper K Thompsen has a line of children's furniture called Play. My favorite piece in the collection is the soapbox cart/ chair! This piece seems  to be the perfect marriage of fun and function. A design that understands the nature of childhood.

The Vermont Country Store

I saw a great vignette with the multi-generational owners of The Vermont Country Store.
This is the place to shop if you are looking for that one person on your list who is notoriously hard to shop for. At this store, pure, unadulterated nostalgia will win over the harshest critic! They have everything that you had forgotten about! And all those loved items you can't find anywhere! My favorite part was one of the owners explaining how their store is reassuring. Which is so spot on but I had never thought to explain nostalgia as reassuring. At their store we can have our iPods and our records too!

Here are some of my favorites for kids of all ages!
Clockwise:
1. Jaw Harp
2.  Vintage Monopoly
3. SnowMan Kit
4. Chatter Phone

Santa Monica Pier

Image via Wikipedia

Today is the 100th Anniversary of the Santa Monica Pier!
FineArtAmerica has a beautiful photograph available for purchase.
Since it's opening a century ago, the Santa Monica Pier has been delighting millions of guests. A variety of amusements await visitors, a mini golf course, arcade, ferris wheel, roller coaster, and 1916 Carousel (which was lovingly restored in the early 1980's).
There is also a bait and tackle shop for fishing, bicycle rentals, two full service restaurants, and a trapeze school!
The Carousel is available for birthday parties!