We love Chickpea Baby and Queen Bee Creations. Their beautiful hand and baby bags can’t be beat in the style and function department. We’ve known many a mama to carry a chickpea diaper bag, especially since they’re made in our fair city. Here are a few other reasons why. As of this year, each bag is constructed from PVC free faux leather. All bags have 10 pockets, 5 external, 5 internal, a swivel hook for keys, water resistant lining, an adjustable strap (thanks) and snap closures, so nothing falls out. And each of their baby/diaper bags contains a fuzzy butt changing pad to boot. The best part about chickpea diaper bags is that long after you need to carry diapers, butt cream and snacks; the bag lives on. Durable and good looking, without question. Strap length, min: 30″, max: 60″. Internal bag dimensions: 15″ wide x 11″ high x 4.5″ deep. Excellent value, we’ve seen these bags last for years. Several styles, colors $160, here.

A week can’t go by without reading “Awake To Nap” by Nikki Mcclure to our wee ones, at least a few times. It’s such a sweet alphabet book highlighting the detail and beauty of Mcclure’s work and never gets old. Each illustration in this little book is a print of x-acto knife paper cuts from a single piece of black paper. And the corresponding letters and text are pretty nifty, too, with two words for each letter. We like the communing crows and the ear emergency. Also, love that the book trails off at the letter “N” just as the kiddos nod and drift into dreamland. Perfect. $9.95, here.

Grandpa doesn’t really live on a farm. We live in the city and though our neighbors have chickens, we don’t get to see barns or farm animals on a regular basis. When we discovered this Fold & Go wood barn by Melissa & Doug, we fell in love. Our friends’ kiddo has one and we want one, too. We did some pretty heavy duty inspection while at their house recently, checked out the doors, hinges, construction, handles, paint and animals that come with the barn, and we’re convinced that it’s likely the most durable and good looking barn we’ve seen. The inside has stable doors that open and close and the outside has sliding doors that seem to slide pretty well. We’ve seen a few reviews stating shotty craftsmanship, but we didn’t see that at all. Farm animals are standard, pig looks a little surly, so we’ll likely add a few schleich animals to the mix. Non-toxic paint. $53.31, here.

Our tots love these little teething biscuits by Earth’s Best. They taste good, are certified USDA organic and GMO-free. All things we love, but they are very sticky, so when they dry on kiddos clothes and face, it takes a bath (and sometimes a chisel) to remove the glue-like remains. Regardless, we do love them and give them to our wee ones often. We just have to wipe down frequently. No big whoop. As a teething biscuit goes, Earth’s Best offers an exceptionally nutritious product. Each biscuit is 100% organic, from organic wheat and corn flour to cane juice, dry milk and corn starch. No artificial colors or flavors, pesticides or other junk. Kosher. 2 pack, $5.78, here. 

We’re about to forge headlong into the fall and winter months in the Northwest, when mud and rain puddles prevail. This sweet little print by Blanca Gomez of Cosas Minimas reminded us of that. It also reminded of us all the things we love to share with our kiddos when it’s raining like rain boots, slickers, umbrellas and cozying up after a walk by the fireplace. We love the contrast of the little girl’s yellow dress, guess it might be a slicker, to the grey clouds above her. And the lone yellow rain drop, too. Will make a fine addition to any kiddos room. Printed on matte archival paper. Measure 6″ x 6″ $22.00, here.

Lovely hippopotamus, you’re handsome. Before we had our own wee ones, we were drawn to Schleich’s animal action figures. We bought them for every kid we knew. They’re just so life like, in a miniature kind of way. They also encourage pretend play, which we love, and provide an introduction to wild animals not seen every day. Handpainted and modeled from nature, each animal is a small scale plastic version of its larger counterpart. Schleich pays great attention to detail when creating their action figures and you can see it in this pachyderm’s skin folds and teeth, it’s pretty remarkable. Extremely durable, this hippo has sustained multiple dog chews. These little models should last a lifetime. Excellent value. 4.5″ x  1.5″ x 3″. $6.75, here.

We’re celebrating a major milestone, of the mama kind. We’ve finally come one step closer to unraveling the mystery that is the sewing machine. We actually have the beginnings of a reasonably good looking curtain for the kiddo’s room. This is a big deal considering our lack of patience for this kind of thing. It give us hope that at some point we’ll be able to conquer larger projects like this Two-Faced Friend Doll by Beeper Bebe. We love these sweet little dolls. Each side shows a different facial expression, one face is asleep and frowning and the other is awake and smiling. Beeper Bebe sells the kit, but if you’re not feeling up to the task, they also sell the dolls. Can’t speak for the level of skill needed for the project, since we’re rookie seamstresses, but we’ll let you know when we’re finished. All kits and dolls are constructed from reclaimed vintage materials, yay. Love the mary janes. Super cute. Many styles to choose from. Kit, $20, Doll $35, here.

Our kiddos are learning their numbers, so we’re always searching for ways to encourage counting. Smithsonian Folkways is such an amazing resource for children’s music (and every other genre) and recordings by artists who span the globe. We looked to the Folkways collection for a few new counting songs knowing we’d likely find something, and guess what? We did. Ella Jenkins is an artist we’d heard of and remember from our childhood. She’s been recording and working with children for decades introducing rhythmic instruments, sounds, basic concepts like counting and calling on kiddos to use their memory. Released in 1990, “Counting Games And Rhythms For Little Ones” is a compilation of  classic songs like “Two Little Black Birds,” “One Potato, Two Potato” and games that help children learn to count. Jenkins interacts with the children in this recording candidly and respectfully, making singing about numbers fun. Kiddos love it, so do we. Available on CD, $15.00, cassette, $10 and download $9.99, here. 

Most of our kiddos are feeding themselves now, and messy as it is, we love it. Dog loves it, too. We’re still heavily relying on bibs to keep our tots little bodies somewhat clean, so we’re always on the hunt for good looking, eco and kid friendly bibs that’ll last for a while. We found one in Bink & Boo’s bandito bib. This little kerchief bib is a keeper. It’s great because it does its job, holds up and looks ridiculously cute on the wee ones. Repurposed from a vintage table cloth on one side, absorbent chenille on the other. The fit is as you would expect, like a kerchief that snaps, with a sweet pearl snap, behind the neck. We like that the bandito bib drapes just so on our tot and catches errant peas and cheese. Probably not intentional in its design, but an unexpected perk, to be sure. A cleeo & bea favorite. Machine wash and dry. 3 months +. $18.00, here.

Rescue remedy has to be one of our all time favorite make baby healthy products. We’ve been using it for years on ourselves, have used it on our kiddos and recommend it to everyone we know. There are some products that will always maintain a place in our medicine cabinet and this is one of them. Why? The only way to describe the effect of rescue remedy is to give a little scenario, so here it is. Kiddo falls off bike, doesn’t really get hurt but is traumatized by the fall and can’t be calmed by hugs, kisses or a band-aid. Rescue remedy comes in handy at exactly that moment. It just takes the edge off of these kinds of stressful and scary situations, offers comfort and settles the kiddos down. Bach’s flower remedies have been around for over 70 years. They belong to a system of seven flower remedies created by Dr. Edward Bach that work to restore emotional well-being, are 100 % safe and work wonders. Rescue remedy is made from spring water infused with wild flowers that have been steeped in the sun and blended with 27% grape based brandy to preserve the floral infusion. Bach makes a alcohol-free version of rescue remedy, but we usually have the original on hand and feel safe using it on our wee ones. $17.50, here. 

We can never have enough food storage containers, especially since we tend to leave them at friends’ houses. And though we’re seeing more and more BPA and phthalate free plastics available, we still attempt to use glass, stainless steel and cotton (see lunch skins review) as often as possible when storing snacks and lunch for the kiddos. We like eco-friendly LunchBots stainless steel containers and lids because they offer a safe alternative for our tots. We really like the duo container as it has a divider to keep dry and perishable snacks separate, so less mess. No soup, though, they’re not liquid tight. LunchBots lids are stainless steel, too, which we don’t usually see. Our only concern about these little containers is that they cost a pretty penny, but considering their durability, they should last a while. We also love that LunchBots works with schools to educate parents on safer alternatives to plastic while raising funds for schools. Kudos. Durable and good looking. Dishwasher safe. Lid color is powder coated with a non VOC finish. Lab certified lead-free. 18/8 stainless steel. 6.25″ x 4.5″ x 1.74″. $14.99 each, here. 

As a rule, unless we’re seeking an argument with our spouses, we leave the house when IKEA products are being assembled. Same rule applies to the spouses when we’re armed with the power drill, but in this case, we were pleasantly surprised. The Patrull Fast baby gate was quickly assembled without too much trouble. This gate has met and exceeded our expectations thus far. We really like the door. Its secure enough to keep our wee ones out and easy enough to open with one hand. The only draw back to this gate is that it screws into the wall as opposed to having a tension knob that tightens against the wall, so if you’re not into a permanent hole, you’ll need to purchase the Patrull Smidig extension gate. A bit more pricey than a standard baby gate, but in the ease of use department, the door makes it very worth it. Door opens both ways. Completely kid safe. Wood screws included. Beech wood. Min. width: 28 3/8″ Max. width: 43 5/8″ height: 29.3/8″. $34.99 at IKEA.

Another fantastic giveaway? Yep. This time we’ve partnered with baby star of Portland to giveaway a newborn kimono set for the new bundle in your life. baby star creates essential items for baby and parents in a clean, simple and modern way with functionality built in to each piece. All of their products are made with care, are eco and kid friendly and are very darn cute, perfect for your baby star. You can find them in specialty and kid retailers nationally or at their online shop. The kimono set is made from organic cotton and soy, snaps at the inside of the leg for easy access and has a gusseted bottom. For more organic soy product info check out our review. We’re big fans and know you will be, too. This giveaway is open to subscribers and facebook fans, so if you’re either, you’ll get the chance to win. Deadline to become a subscriber or fan is September 30th. Thanks for reading and good luck.