Whew, reviews are posted. Order is a titch funky however, so please forgive. With any luck we’re on track for the week and can now check into a local hotel to get a little respite from the heat, we aren’t kidding. Oregonians (especially those who are 8 months pregnant) just can’t cope with 100 degree weather, we aren’t accustomed. And though some folks do have central air, we’re not among them. It’s rarely necessary here. Happy reading and we’ll be back with new reviews on Monday. Look for sneak peeks on our facebook page.

At any given time, we have framed treasures sitting around our house waiting to be hung on the walls. It takes us a while to get to the task of hanging them, but we do enjoy them regardless. And because we covet this print, it will soon be awaiting a spot on our wall, too. We love Portugese artist Ana Ventura’s new letterpress print, “Dreaming Of You” especially made for Twig and her paperdolls (out of stock) and cut & paste screen prints are to die for. Ventura’s designs are filled with organic whimsy and the colors are really nifty. More of her work can be viewed on her website, but let’s hope it becomes more widely available in the states, becuase it’s beautiful. Letterpress printed by Rohner Press of Chicago on thick paper stock.  Would be super in a kiddos’ room or in the common area for all to admire. 8″ x 10″. $30 at Twig.

It’s been quite the week for cleeo & bea. We experienced a server outage and it’s over 100 degrees in Portland. Needless to say, we’re a bit cranky and are now having issues posting all of our reviews scheduled for this week. It may take a little bit of time to solve this new problem, but we’re working on it. So sorry for the delay. We’re sad that such things happen beyond our control. If only we could be in control of everything… Just wanted to let you know we haven’t given up on this week’s reviews. We have some darn good ones, so with any luck we’ll get them published soon. Don’t forget about the puj promo, 20% off entire purchase at pujbaby.com with promo code CleeoBea20 and our two giveaways are going strong, only a few days left to become an e-mail subscriber and be entered to win a $20 gift certificate to Milagros.

We like old stuff and Mary Janes are on our list of classic kid styles we love. When we received a pair of See Kai Run’s Yuna shoes at our baby shower, we secretly wished we could shrinky dink our tootsies. After admiring them for over a year now our new walker is strutting her stuff around the house like no tomorrow. The soles are made from incredibly flexible rubber and we can tell by her movements that her little feet are healthy and happy. The velcro strap makes them easy to take on and off with no fuss, however, get ready to put them on a lot because our busy body loves taking her shoes off, especially in the car. It’s worth it, though. Red shoes, come on. All gals need a pair. Generous width, padded collar. Sizes 3-4. $30.00 here. 

Oh, how we loved matroyshka dolls when we were little girls. There’s something so fascinating about objects that can be stacked and nested. We would hide very tiny love letters within the smallest matroyshka in hopes we’d never be found out. We were so pleased to find these lovely plush matroyshka dolls by artist Ella Pedersen of Little Red Caboose. We stumbled upon her blog, which is absolutely beautiful, while searching for something on the internet and discovered her matroyshkas there. The fabrics Pedersen uses are gorgeous and the matroyshkas’ sweet expressions are captivating. A must have keepsake for any kiddo. Completely handmade and stuffed with 100% lambswool, no polyfill. This tall doll measures 12.5″. $60 each at Little Red Caboose.

Just in case you haven’t guessed by now, we love children’s literature. As teens we spent many hours shelving children’s books at the public library and ever since we have been hooked. One of our all time favorite authors is Ezra Jack Keats, author and illustrator extraordinaire whom you you may recognize from reading the 1962 classic, ”The Snowy Day”. ”Hi, Cat” is another fine example of Keats’ multicultural legacy to children’s lit and our kiddos absolutely love his incredibly charming and unforgettable characters, Peter & Archie. We personally adore the groovy 1970s illustrations that leave us wanting to squeeze the heck out of the Archie, cause he’s so darn cute. This book is a keeper. Used copies from .49 cents and up, here.

We had a mini melt-down, well actually a freak out, when it came to germs and our baby crawling around on the floors, especially after reading a long list of contaminants we can bring in from outside on our shoes. YUCK. We admit, we had to learn to let go and breathe a bit, especially since we couldn’t control the little teether from wanting to slobber and chew on every known piece of material known to man. We started to feel a little bit better when we made a no-shoe policy in the house, but still we wanted a designated soft place for baby to crawl and cruise around in comfort and then we found FLOR, our modular carpet-tile savior. Available in a huge array of colors and patterns, these 20 x 20 carpet tiles are made with recycled materials, are recycleable and the self-stick adhesive is non-toxic. Check out Love Ewe, made in the USA from beautiful dye-free natural wool. Sweet music to a mama’s ears. $4.99 per tile and up, and we mean up, here.

We have a very small house and a tiny bathroom. Guess the builders saw no need for leg room when the house was built in 1913. When the dog and kiddo came along things became even tighter, especially since we all seem to pile into the bathroom together and the dog lives in there during summer months. We needed something to store our bath toys that wouldn’t disrupt the dog’s sleep, so we checked out the Boon frog pod. Initially, this little frog worked quite well, but unfortunately it doesn’t hold some of our larger bath toys. We do like that there’s storage for the kid shampoo, since we are sorely lacking in this area, too. Other benefits are the handle on the pod portion of the frog is quite useful for scooping and rinsing soap and dirt off of our toys. Our bigger toys just hang out behind the clawfoot tub, so no big whoop. Good looking pod and adhesive strips or screws keep this frog on the wall. Holds 10 lbs. with strips and 20 lbs. with screws. 19″ x 16 1/2″ x 7″. A bit steep for what it is, but it does scoop, drain and store.$34, at boon.

Though we had a pretty rough time with the Maxi Cosi Mico car seat, we really liked the Maxi Cosi Perle umbrella stroller. We particularly appreciated that we could leave our wee one peacefully sleeping in the car seat and attach them to the Perle. This feature worked perfectly and initially sold us on this stroller. As far as portability goes, it’s very light and when folded will fit in a tight spot in the car. We also liked how far the Perle reclined, the rain fly and the storage basket is quite big. The few drawbacks we did notice were that it started to creak while strolling almost instantly and the cup holder, well, it’s not really usable. The canopy didn’t really block the sun so well, either. To be honest, we haven’t used the Perle much since we bought the BOB, but we’re holding onto it for a bit, since we’ll likely use it for air travel. 17 lbs. 5 point harness system. $199.99, here.

The kiddos have let us know that teething is no joke, so we’re always looking for new ways to minimize the pain and irritation of teething until all those chompers are in. Our tots have been chewing and drooling on everything, but we’ve watched them return to their wood toys and puzzle pieces for relief more often than other things. When we found these li’l lark wood teethers by Little Alouette we thought, “why didn’t we think of that?” and promptly scooped one up. These sweet little teethers are constructed from Ohio sourced maple wood and finished with USDA certified flax oil (neato). Durable and good looking, they’re perfect for little hands learning to grasp. Chunky mouthful measuring at 3.5″ x 4″. We love this li’l lark and are so pleased it will become a toy and heirloom beyond its service as a teether.$14 @ Little Alouette’s wee shop.

We have a serious soft spot for the bay area and San Francisco in particular. We have fond memories of courting our hubbies here and sometimes when it’s foggy out we daydream about being back in this beautiful city, strolling the streets for good finds or taking a swan boat ride in Golden Gate Park. When we came across one of M. Sasek’s classic 1960’s children’s travel series called “This Is San Francisco,” we knew we needed this book to share with our kiddos. First published in 1962, Miroslav Sasek’s book will enchant even the youngest of readers with his unique and vibrant retro illustrations of San Francisco’s most charming landmarks. Pick up a copy for your friends. It’s a dual purpose gift; makes an excellent coffee table book for adults as well as favorite page-turner for the little reader in your life. M. Sasek rules! $16.95 here.

When we were kids we loved anything that publicized our name. I.D. bracelets, license plates, you name it. The affirmation of our identity made us feel famous and oddly, as if noone shared our name. This must be why we’re crazy about these personalized onesies designed by artist Alyssa Coberly of handmadejig for Mahar Drygoods. Packaged in a custom reusable wood box, the three onesies come in your choice of boy or girl styles. We like the boy styles for our girls, but both are adorable. We were drawn to the Woodie and the Rocket. Excellent shower gift for those who’ve already chosen names. 100% cotton. Heat transfer graphics custom made at time of order, so allow a few weeks. Wash and wear well. Not cheap, but reasonable for a little fame. 0-18 months, $50, here.

Our little one got Plan Toys’  Silly Snake as a gift for her first birthday. While she was instantly enamoured by the rainbow colors and giggle inducing wiggle movements, she did not take an interest in this toy unless playing with mama or papa until recently. Now, at 18 months and walking confidently on her own she pulls the Silly Snake around with her all over the house.  Silly Snake or “Mr. Wiggles” as he is affectionately known around these parts has even taken a few trips down the block and back and once even went for a dip in the kiddie pool. He didn’t seem to mind. Another win win for parents and tots. Your kiddos will learn about cause and effect while imitating the wiggle movements and playing with this toy. And you’ll love it because as with all Plantoys, it’s made from recycled natural and organic rubber wood and is colored with eco-friendly dyes. How cool. Great for 18 months +. $20, here.