With all the marketing gimmicks out there, and so many children’s books, toys and products to choose from, it can be hard to sort out what is worth purchasing and what is not.  I can’t tell you how many times I have bought something for my girls and it turned out to be a flop.  It is so frustrating! So this week, I decided to share some good finds that I have stumbled upon over the past few years hoping that somebody out there will benefit from me doing my own little “momma-show-and-tell,” if you will.

• Baby Book – One Moose Twenty Mice

If you are looking for a baby board book for one of your own children or to give as a gift, One Moose Twenty Mice by Clare Beaton is sure to please!  My youngest daughter adores this book right now and we bought our own copy after my older daughter cried every time I returned the book to the library when she was about the same age (17 Months).  My toddlers have been delighted to search for the bright orange cat playing hide and seek on every page while counting other animals, including whales, crabs, frogs and monkeys.  The illustrations are vivid and cheery and I highly recommend this book for children in the 1-2 age range.  My three year old has taken charge and “reads” the Cat book to her sister almost every night and I am really happy to have added this book to our kiddy library.  You can purchase the book online at Amazon for $6.99.

• Toy – Fisher-Price Doodler

Next, if you are looking for a toy that will keep the kids busy almost anywhere, is easily transported and reasonably priced, get your tot one (or more if you have more than one kiddo) of these.  The Fisher-Price Doodler allows kids to draw and stamp til their heart’s desire with no mess.  The only problem we have encountered is that the stampers do not stay securely attached to the Doodler but overall, I give the Fisher-Price Doodler 2 thumbs up.  It is made much better than some of the other doodle type toys that are available.

• Storage Solution – Barrette Holder

My third and final show and tell item is a must-have if you are blessed with little girls!  Before buying this adorable barrette holder, I could never find a barrette or clip for my daughters when I needed one.  I tried using a basket to store barrettes but always had to dig around and could rarely find a matching pair.  I also tried a drawer organizer and this worked okay but everything was still sort of jumbled together like sardines in a can, making it difficult to see the selection of barrettes and find matches.  If you search on Etsy, there are dozens of super-cute barrette holders to choose from that will display your barrettes easily and add to your girls’ room decor.

Happy Shopping!