Tots Swap Shop Blog

About our short blog hiatus…

tots — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:36:18 +0000

Hello Everyone!

We apologize for the lack of advice that usually appeared here regularly, but the Tots Swap Shop Team is currently concentrating their efforts on improving the main website (TotsSwapShop.com). You may have already noticed some changes that have improved the overall experience of swapping your kids stuff online. If you haven’t visited in a while, please take a look at our new design and try dropping something today. It’s easier than ever! As for the blog, we have some exciting ideas on the horizon, so stay tuned.

Thanks!

All of us at Tots Swap Shop

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Pro Tools for Tots

tots — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:05:29 +0000

Tool sets have been a staple of a boys childhood for probably as far back as when the first caveman tied a rock to a stick and invented the hammer. Obviously, things have evolved a lot since then, and even since I was a child. Take this for example: The Home Depot Pro Wood Worker Playset.

At first glance, this looked like something I could actually build some cabinets with, but rest assured that there are no sharp or dangerous parts of these playsets for children over the age of 3. And if cabinet making isn’t your child’s forte… well, there’s also a Contractor Playset, a Deluxe Workstation, a Gardening Trolley (and lots more!), that all contain hours of fun for your little workers.

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When Kids Need Hip Clothes

supermom — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:32:56 +0000

Outside of the boutique specialty stores, I’ve found that my “go-to” place for hip children’s clothing is H&M. I can often find brand names or other inexpensive (but still fashionable) jackets, pants, skirts… you name it. Some favorite items that I bought there recently include some sporty shoes (even other moms on the bus commented about them), a spiderman shirt that my child adores, a warm winter hat that covers the ears, and a pair of zippered gloves that are a snap to put on quickly.

The best thing about H&M has to be the price to value ratio which is very reasonable for good quality items. If you haven’t been to one, I recommend stopping in and seeing what they’ve got.

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More Than Meets The Eye!

tots — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:30:59 +0000

One of the most popular toys among boys over the past 25 years has to be Transformers. Combining a robot with a vehicle (or other device) into one figure is easily one of the most ingenious toy ideas to have ever come out of the 80’s. When I was growing up, I couldn’t wait for Christmas or my birthday to roll around in order to hopefully get a new Transformer, whether it was an Autobot (good guys) or a Decepticon (bad guys).

Not only was it a cool and futuristic action figure, but for the first few hours that I had it in my hands, it was a puzzle. I would practice changing the robot back and forth from it’s vehicle state until I could do it blindfolded. Sometimes this would prove to be rather difficult, but I loved to try. If I had any serious problems with it, I’d have a grown-up show me how to do it… but usually, they had more problems figuring it out than I would.

Take a look at all the different kinds here.

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Lite Brite is Back!

tots — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:14:10 +0000

One of my favorite childhood toys, especially around the holidays, was the Lite Brite. I couldn’t wait to complete my picture so that I could plug it in and turn out the lights so I could see it illuminate my room.

While out christmas shopping this year I stumbled upon a new version of the Lite Brite at Toys R Us - The Lite Brite Cube! No longer will kids have to fight over who’s turn it is to make a picture, and even better is that you don’t have to get rid of one image to start another! Another handy upgrade it’s received is the tray which slides out from the bottom of the cube. It serves as storage for all the little colored pieces that usually otherwise end up in every nook and cranny of the house. This is great fun and definitely a timeless toy, check it out here.

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The Diaper Genie

eshober — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:46:54 +0000

We have only had experience with the Playtex Diaper Genie so to be honest, we are not sure how other diaper disposals compare in regards to their effectiveness. While I’d like to share my experience with the Diaper Genie, we would appreciate any comments about any other brands.

The diaper genie worked fine in the early stages when our baby was only drinking milk. Once she was on solids, I don’t believe any genie could whisk away that overwhelming smell. We just started throwing the diapers away in our daily garbage to avoid them sticking around any longer than they needed to. The one good thing about this is that it compacts all the diapers and you can dispose of them quite easily. On the downside, it can get quite costly with refills.

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A big hit with a little car!

hschindo — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:51:41 +0000

I don’t know what it is about this car - the Little Tikes Patrol Car specifically - vs. other toddler vehicles but all the kids in the playroom love this car. It’s a must have to keep kids entertained for hours, as they stay glued to it! It has an electronic microphone & 7 siren sounds, working door, horn and clicking key, a reflective light bar and easily maneuverable. It’s almost like a must have toy. Not kidding, take a look for yourself! click here

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Perfect baby bottle warmer if lacking counter space.

totsmom — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:49:23 +0000

We brought the larger version of the bottle warmer pictured, which comes with cooling and warming features. For the entire time we have owned this, we’ve never used the cooler, so it ended up just taking up valuable space on our counter top. The First Years Quick Serve Bottle Warmer warms 1 bottle at a time (who needs to warm more than 1 unless you have twins?) and takes up very little valuable real estate on your counter. Overall, the device takes very little time heat up and is easy to use.

In order to use this warmer, all you do is pour in the right amount of water, drop in the bottle, and then hit the power button. It turns off when it’s reached the right temperature automatically. It’s not limited to just bottles, however. I have used it to warm a bowl of baby food as well. Simple and quick are the key words for this warmer, and it’s also great for traveling to boot.

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What’s a good baby bathtub?

hschindo — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:00:03 +0000

We brought a baby bath tub for our child and she outgrew it pretty quickly, which resulted in having to buy another one soon after… so I’d like to suggest that people buy one that should last at least up to 2 years.

My recommendation is the PRIMO EuroBath. It will fit children from newborns all the way up to your average two year old toddler. There’s 2 positions for them to lay as you wash them, and it’s super easy to clean and dry. We wished we had known about this earlier, since we could have saved some money.

Take a look here

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Portable Baby Booster Booster Seat!

eshober — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:38:58 +0000

We love the Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster Seat for a number of reasons: it’s small, easy to carry around and has a lot of extra little features. The tray has a couple of removable layers that are convenient and make it easier to clean. The seat will secure tightly to any chair and the height of the seat can be adjusted quickly and easily. My child loves playing with all the straps, and I think he learned how to buckle and unbuckle with this chair. My favorite feature is the handle strap that makes it easy to carry around… and it is not heavy! It’s good for babies/toddlers 10 months and up. We really love this!

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