Did you know that George Harrison of the Beatles was a huge fan of the ukulele? Yup, he often traveled with one and was known to play while on a plane or in a car. We recently went to a friend’s house who owns a Hilo ukulele and our tots couldn’t get enough of it. And  though we’ve always loved the guitar, we think this sweet little string instrument is perfect for kids of all ages. For starters, the ukulele is smaller than a guitar, ranging in size from 13″-22″, making it much easier for the 3 and up set to hold on to and strum. It’s standard four strings are easy to pluck and the sound they produce is quite beautiful and fun. We like the double soprano made by Hilo. It’s a great starter and intro to the instrument and won’t break the bank. Constructed from light mahogany its great looking and durable. Love. $34.95, here. 

In our humble opinion, the iPod can’t hold a candle to the old school venerablity of a mix tape. Don’t get us wrong, we heart our iPods, but there’s something to be said for the love and labor that went into compiling a mix on tape. Finding the perfect selection of songs for secret crushes and recording from radio or turntable to tape, nothing like it. And hoodies, well they’re a staple in this cleeo & bea mama’s household, so when we discovered this Mix Tape Hoodie by prefresh, we were beside ourselves. Tots in hoodies with a cassette tape graphic? Sold. This hoodie is super soft, has washed well and we love the play, rewind and eject buttons, too. 50% polyester+50% cotton. Available in sizes 2t-10t. $38.00 at prefresh.

After years of taking French classes, this cleeo & bea mama should be able to remember a little something, but truth is, there’s little more than a “bonjour,” or “J’ai oubliais” left in this rusty brain. We even had to do a little homework to write the headline to this post. We do, however, love to listen to Frenchie music and try effortlessly to remember enough of the language  to share the lyrics with our kiddos. Putamayo Presents: French Playground is a family favorite. The music is fun, kid-friendly and serves as a great cultural teaching tool. Artists include well known children’s and pop performers, Pascal Parisot and Ariane Moffat. Our tots love to dance to the funny voices in “Bonjour, Bonjour” and the circus like sounds of “Croque (Bite). Too much fun. $14.98, here.

We remember really loving the triangle as a kid, it’s percussive, but not as loud as some of the other rhythm instruments. We always made a mad dash for it in music class, so we’ve been on a mission to find one for the kiddos. We found one in Sevi’s percussion set along with some other great instruments. Handmade from wood and colored with vegetable dyes, this set is perfect for little hands, and an excellent addition to our growing band. The castanettes and jingle stick were instant faves and the maracas are fun, too. Rock out. Ages 2 +.$32.99, here.

We’ve been having so much fun with our giveaways. What a great way to interact with our readers and feature some nifty stuff for the kiddos. This month we’ve partnered with local seamster and mama Karina Potestio of Luna to giveaway one of her sweet appliqued guitar t-shirts. Karina is a native Guatemalan, now living in Portland, where she learned to sew by deconstructing clothes to see how they were made. She started making skirts for her little girls and from there developed a fun line of clothes and accessories, constructed from repurposed materials, for kids and adults. Her clothing line is carried locally and she can be found on etsy or most weekends at the Portland Saturday Market. For more information on her goods, read our review. This giveaway is open to e-mail subscribers, facebook fans and twitter followers and the deadline is Monday, March 15th.

With the arrival of our second tot, this cleeo & bea mama has been diapering, thinking or talking about potty time from the moment we wake until our heads hit the pillow. We’ve been trying out a few different types of training pants for our toddler and so far we’ve found these adorable little pants the best for daytime use. Blueberry trainers are designed to feel like real underwear. They’re lined with super soft cotton velour, a hidden layer of absorbent microterry and PUL. These training pants will do a great job of catching small accidents, but aren’t recommended for overnight. Good looking and do the job. Wide range of colors and styles. Sizes: Small (22-30 lb), Medium (25-35 lb), Large (32-42 lb). $15.95 each, here.

Diaper duty is a 24-7 job when tots are wee, so we’re always on a mission to find innovative and eco-friendly products designed to save time and keep things adequately clean. We were recently given a full demonstration of the Dékor Diaper Pail and have to say, we’re big fans. If you use disposable (and bio-degradable) diapers, this system is pretty fantastic. The unique, hands-free rubber sealed trap door traps in odors, keeping kiddo’s room odor-free. The odor resistant ABS plastic is easy to use and clean, even using bleach won’t turn the plastic yellow. And when you’re ready to empty, simply open the bottom of the pail, cut bag free and dispose. 30-50 diaper capacity (pictured), 480 bags per box and refill capacity is 240. Measures 13¾ × 9½ × 22¼. Three sizes available. Perfect for reuse as a compost bin once kiddos are no longer in diapers. Biodegradable liners sold separately. $39.95, here.

In our humble opinion, there are few things sweeter than a baby’s bum, so when it comes to keeping our tots bottoms free of diaper rash, we use safe, natural and effective products. We love Earth Mama Angel Baby’s Bottom Balm. It’s a household favorite for so many reasons and receives the highest rating on Skin Deep’s cosmetic safety database. Clinically tested and allergy tested, non-irritating, vegan and made with organic olive oil infused with a proprietary blend of naturally antibacterial and antifungal organic herbs, shea butter and pure essential oils. Perfect for diaper rash and rash prevention, cradle cap, dry skin and razor burn, can’t get better than that. Available in 1 and 2 oz. reusable containers.$9.95-$14.95, here.

It’s kind of amazing to us that we were so on top of diaper detail when our tots were brand new. Regardless of whether we’d had a shower, our babies always had clean diapers. We bought the bum genius adjustable diaper sprayer early on and really love it. The pressure is forceful enough to spray off even the most stubborn, stuck-on poop. It also made washing cloth diapers tons easier, so we could get away with washing only once instead of twice. Great for use with cloth diapers or for cleaning potty chairs. Easy installation, attaches to  with adjustable spray nozzle. Measures 10″ x 7 ½ x 3″. $44.95, here.

Since having our little ones, we talk about going potty more than we talk about the weather. In fact, potty talk has become a second language in our families. We’ve known about Taro Gomi’s “Everyone Poops” for a long time. It was a favorite book before we had our kids and now it’s a favorite of theirs. We love Gomi’s straightforward and refreshing approach on the subject and his colorful and funny illustrations. First published in 1977 in Japan, “Everyone Poops” has become a useful tool for potty training kiddos the world over. It simply explains that everyone, from elephants to insects poop and though each species may do it a little differently, the result is always the same. Love that. $6.95, here.

We’ve been searching high and low for the perfect baby wipe to use on our tots tooshes. We found them in Osocozy’s organic flannel wipes. These reusable cloth baby wipes are a great alternative to disposable diaper wipes and for wiping up everyday baby messes. Made from 100 % cotton flannel for softness and absorbency. Suited for delicate skin. Wipes soften with each washing. 7″ x 7″. Available in bleached (white) or unbleached (ivory) fabric. Not great for heavy duty dooty and sometimes disappear as quickly as socks do in the dryer,  but great for everything else. Made in the USA. 15-pack, $9.00, here.