• Prince Lionheart Archive

    Yesterday’s weather was perfect: sunny and in the 60s, with just a hint of fall in the air. After a rather buggy summer, my 5-year-old was happy to finally be back outside where she could play undisturbed by those pesky critters. So we took out her trike and she happily pedaled back and forth, and even giving her stuffed panda Bamboo a ride. As I watched her attempt to maneuver herself through various twists and turns on her path, I realized that the days of ride-ons were pretty much behind us now. Even though she is almost too big to fit inside her convertible coupe, she still likes to cruise around the backyard, her knees bumping against the dashboard much to her (odd) delight. Well, [&hellip

    Read More...

    If you’ve been keeping tabs on The Talking Walnut lately, you know we’re in the throes of potty-training a rather stubborn 3-year-old. This kid has been plied with everything from pink cookies–reserved especially for taking care of business when we’re not at home–to the stuffed animal of her choice when her rewards chart is completed (I now have more stickers in my possession than a kindergarten teacher). Because this child marches to the beat of her own drum, moving her to the next step (from a potty chair to a cushioned seat) takes a bit of negotiating…followed by the simple act of outsmarting her. This time, we weren’t involved teddy bears, sweets or any other special something. Instead, we magically revealed the weePOD Basix one [&hellip

    Read More...

    When my husband was a boy, he had a wooden rocking horse on which he happily rode off into the proverbial sunset. Well…not exactly, but I believe that horse had something to do with his signature sign-off, “Happy trails.”  Today, we have that same treasured horse in our own home, so our girls can rock to their hearts’ content. Among all their other toys, it stands out as a treasured childhood favorite and is in sharp contrast to the high-tech gadgets and brightly colored plastic playthings of today. If you’re a fan of the toys of yesteryear, you can step back in time with a classic favorite that returns to the modern world. Woody Rocking Horse is a simple, but elegantly designed rocker just begging [&hellip

    Read More...

    When my husband and I took our young daughters on our annual summer vacation, there wasn’t a single piece of baby gear that we left behind: portable high chair, Pack ‘n Play, stroller, ExerSaucer…we were a regular traveling circus of kiddie equipment. There was, however, one item we just couldn’t bring along, and one that caused me more anxiety than it should have. Trying to bathe a young baby in a standard bath is like trying to dress a cat in doll clothes: cute idea, but they just don’t fit right. Keeping my little one upright with one slippery hand became a Herculean feat that I didn’t care to repeat day after day. Believe me when I say this was no vacation at the beach! [&hellip

    Read More...