Twisty Critters

I always think that simple toys like these wooden blocks are the best for stimulating little minds and encouraging imagination. And they are oh so lovely and nolstagic looking! via ohdeedoh.

Huppureppu / Hood Bag

I want a bag like this to go to work!

FURNISHED plexiglas Ding house

This colourful house comes in modules to allow you to create different zones according to your child’s wishes. The yellow and orange plexiglass panels even allows light through and you can even transform it into a garage! How stylish and imaginative.

Smallstep

Designed and manufactured in Stockholm, Sweden, Smallstep is a line of ultra contemporary chidren’s clothes with simple, clean lines. The designs are specially designed to accommodate your growing child. They also come in a range of neutral colors so they’re easy to mix and match with your child’s wardrobe and accessories.

Thank you!

A big thank you (again) to Martha Stewart for deciding to sponsor Pupsik Studio! I was over the moon when Martha and her team approached me some time ago to sponsor my design blog Laissezfaire. So you can imagine how excited I am again to hear that she has also taken an interest in my baby's blog! Martha Stewart has a wonderful section on her website just for kids. It is filled with lots of wonderful craft ideas and activities to do with children. Do check it out!

Thanks again Martha!

If you would like to join Martha Stewart in sponsoring Pupsik Studio, please contact me! Thanks!

Slate Clock

Teach your child numbers adn the time with this Slate Clock from Haba. comes with 2 pendulums - one for chalk and another for an eraser!

Miles Rug

I love this highway Miles Rug! Even comes with three wooden toy cars. Hand-tufted virgin wool. (via cribcandy)

Learning to Walk

Vera's 1st Birthday Cake

Vera celebrated her first birthday last week. Vitali and I really give thanks to God for all the joy Vera has brought us. We couldn't have asked for a more wonderful child and the opportunity for me to stay home to take care of Vera over the past year. Time really flies!

We threw 2 birthday celebrations for her over 2 weekends - one for close family members and another for good friends and family. On the actual day of her birthday, we bought her a tiny cake and for the first time, allowed her to enjoy it all by herself. We are usually quite strict with her diet but allowed her the whole cake to herself this time. And my did she enjoy it!

Silk brocade baby shoes

It's a little early but these silk brocade baby shoes will be perfect for Chinese New Year, don't you think?

Lego cakes

aaarghhh!!!!!! I would love to have these for Vera's first birthday! If only I could get that oven at home fixed before then!

ps: Koko, if you are reading this...hinthint! =)

Parent and Child Dance shoes

I think these Parent and Child Dance Shoes are the coolest and sweetest thing I have seen this week.

Homemade Baby

I am sure that all parents want the best for their babies when it comes to food. Homemade Baby gives parents just that with their handcooked, certified organic and healthy chemical free baby food.

Homemade Baby's baby food arrives at your doorstep with clear instructions on how to serve. A definite lifesaver if you travel alot or are a full-time working mom. Homemade Baby even has a 'Yummy Tummy Club' that you can join and have baby food delivered to your door every week. How I wish we had something like this in Singapore! Love the packaging too!

French Toast Friday

French Toast Friday recently emailed me to tell me about their wonderful kid's name frames. I think these are a great way to spruce up and personalise your kids bedrooms. The wooden frames are 7 inches by 5 inches and are backed by scrap book papers. More designs can be found here. Click here for more details on how to order one.

If you are happy with your order and would like to get more for your home or as a gift for friends, we are happy to let you know that French Toast Friday will be offering Pupsik blog readers 10% off your second purchase. Thanks!

Doll Houses

I had blogged about these magical doll houses at Laissezfaire. There are three different room sizes and 4 different wall colors to choose from. You can even get modern furniture and dolls for decorating and playing. Available at Hase Weiss, a Berlin-based kids toy and furniture company.

I also love another simpler dollhouse design by Designer Jeanette. The Constantine Dollhouse designs are handmade with plywood and Unica wallpaper. You can even make special color requests. Available at Kidsmodern. (Via Design Crush)

Best bibs recommended by Dr Moz

Yay! Dr Moz has answered my question on what bibs to get for Vera!

Remember, if you have a question to ask Dr Moz, just send your "Dear Dr.MOZ" letters to themoose (RemoveThis) @ drmoz.com

Thank you Dr Moz!

=========

Question

Dear Dr.MOZ,

What do you do with a baby (i.e. Vera) who doesn’t like to wear bibs when she eats? Do you know of any cool bib gadget out there that will be fun to wear, easy to clean and difficult for babies to remove themselves? Thanks again!

Best,
Mommy Vera
www.pupsikstudio.blogspot.com

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Answer

Hello Mommy Vera,

It’s common for babies and toddlers to get fussy when they are getting jostled around for feeding, and luckily there are a collection of bibs on the market that help simplify the process. Here are three comfortable bibs that are hard to remove, and easy to clean:

3 Dr.MOZ Favorites

* A Better Bib has built-in sleeves, so Vera may not know she’s wearing a bib. There are a variety of styles to choose from with these 100% cotton bibs and they are machine washable. (available at A Better Bib’s website)

* The Crum Chum covers baby from chin to toes and is designed especially for feeding baby in highchairs and on the go in strollers or car seats. The larger coverage will make it more difficult to pull off than a standard bib, and you’ll love the huge “pucker pocket” that will catch food that would normally cover Vera’s legs. (available at Let Babies Soar)

* Bumkins Sleeved Bib could be the perfect combination of the first two bibs because it features sleeves, waterproof fabric, and a large catch-all pocket. Vera won’t be able to reach the tied strings in back, and you’ll appreciate knowing that Bumkins’ proprietary fabric is PVC free! (available at Bumkins.com)

In addition to using a wearable bib, you might also want to try putting the bib on Vera five or ten minutes before feeding time. By the time Vera is placed in a highchair, she may already be comfortable with the bib and less likely to want to pull it off. Thanks for the great question, and don’t forget to check back to see if our readers have other ideas in our comments bubble above!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

Ask Dr Moz

I was absolutely delighted when Dr Moz sent me an email yesterday telling me about their new blog. Besides having lots of wonderful parenting tips and resources, this blog has a cool section called "DearDrMoz" where you get to throw any questions related to general health, newborns, lifestyle issues, or the best gifts and gear on the market. All you have to do is send Dr Moz an email (themoose@drmoz.com) with “Dear Dr.MOZ” as the subject heading and the selected questions will be posted with answers every Friday of the week.

Ok, Dr Moz. My first question for you is...

"What do you do with a baby (i.e. Vera) who doesn't like to wear bibs? Vera ends up all dirty whenever she eats and Mommy is overwhelmed with the laundry that appears after each meal. Is there a cool bib gadget out there that will be fun to wear, easy to clean and difficult for babies to remove themselves? Thank you in advance for answering Mommy Vera's question, Dr Moz."

Pupsik and Dr Moz are exchanging blogroll links so that our readers can cross the continents to see what each corner of the earth has in store for modern parents. You can find the link to their blog on the left column, under PUPSIK friends. Enjoy!

Baby SOS

Vera would usually protest by crying a little when we put her to bed at night. Today, she was unusually silent so we decided to check in on her. Turns out that she was sending out a distress signal from her bed.

Cheburashka and Krokodil Gena

Daddy grew up with this cartoon during communist Russia. It is the story of a Russin Goblin called Cheburashka. Mommy and I don't understand a word of it but we think the music is lovely!

Kids Factory

I posted these rooms I found at Kidsfactory on my design blog at Laissezfaire. I really think these are probably one of the most enchanting rooms for children I have ever come across. It is so lovely to grow up in a room where it seems like nothing is impossible...where one can dream and have your imagination take you as far as you would like to go. There are lots more inspirational images and even a 360degree panorama of the rooms here!

(via Emma's blog)

Noonoo

I just love these comfort blankets by Noonoo. The original idea for the Noonoo© comfort blankets was developed by a mother for her toddler son when she recognised that she needed to fulfil his desire for ownership of whatever he set his sights on. The very first Noonoo© comfort blanket was made for him as a practical and tangible object, something he could call his very own, and do with what he wanted!

Good news! You can buy Noonoo in Singapore at The Children's Showcase, Loewen Gardens (entrance via Ridley Park). They are open M - F 11am - 5pm and Saturday from 10am - 2pm. For more information contact Andi at 9830 5356, E: andi@cradlenall.com. Thanks for letting us know Andi!

Parents.com

We are a firm believer that children learn the most through play. I came across this article at Parents.com called "Let's Play" and thought I will share it with other moms and dads. Apparently, these baby games will boost your infant's smarts and emerging social skills. Even if it doesn't, it is still fun!

Parents.com is an amazing online resource for parenting. It is packed with loads of information from pregnancy to bringing up teens. Do check it out!

Organic baby

Vera goes shopping in Daddy and Mommy's organic grocery bag.

For nolstalgic sake!

I had this Snoopy Sno Cone Maker when I was growing up. This gadget comes with a metal ice shaver, one syrup bottle (the jolly snowman) one package of unsweetened soft drink mix, paper cups, scoop and instructions. It was the closest thing I had to snow and homemade ice kachang in Singapore. If you are looking for a gift for a 5-8 year old, think this will be perfect! Anyone had this when they were young too?

Vera's latest pics

Dear Family and Friends,

We have posted the latest pictures of vera here. Do check it out if you are interested!

Daddy and Mommy

Happy and Sad

9 month old Vera really amazed us today by showing us how emotionally sensitive she is to music. She loves happy songs and would clap to the tune. She also enjoys music by Bach and will sit and listen quietly on her own when we play the CD. However, we never knew she would cry when she hears a sad tune...until today. In this video, you can watch her reactions when she hears Daddy hum a sad tune from "Letters from Iwo Jima". Click on image above to watch.

Yellow Pages Booster

I saw this in the Straits Times Life this morning and thought it was pretty cute. A seat booster designed like the Yellow Pages to give junior a little boost at the table! This version is made from light-weight, soft, durable, form-fitting foam. Kids from age 3 will happily rise to the occassion.

Foldschool

I am always on the lookout for creative ways to play with Vera. Really think these cardboard toys by Foldschool are so fun and creative! Created by a Swiss-based architect Nicola Enrico Stäubli, Foldschool has downloadable patterns and a manual to create cool DIY cardboard furniture for kids.

Quote of the week

"Children are likely to live up to what you believe in them."

Lady Bird Johnson

Goosie Cards

Check out these first and only custom flash cards for children! Designed by a mom, Goosie flash cards was created out of her desire to teach her child about their family through family photos. Her company and brand is built on her philosophy and belief in the ability of parents to inspire learning in their children through sharing experiences together. I especially like the idea of making Goosie cards of your baby to teach them about their body parts from head to toe.
Every card is unique with your favorite, real life photo and text and laminated to keep clean! And you can keep the cards as a picture memento of your child when he/she grows up!