My position on toys is...
WHEN A TOY DOES LESS, A CHILD CAN DO MORE
If you are interested in having me review your product on my blog please email me at thetoysnob(at)gmail(dot)com!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Piggy Paint Review

What a great idea! This new Piggy Paint nail polish is designed for kids and is non-toxic, odorless, and water-based. It was created by a mom who watched in horror as her girls' old polish melted through a foam plate after using it to paint their nails on. From that experience Piggy Paint was born!




Piggy Paint let us try their Girls Rule! Polish (.5 oz.) and their signature Piggy Paint Remover (4 oz.).
Girls Rule!

I first wanted to test out their "odor-free" claim so as soon as I opened the package I sniffed both the polish and the remover. While there is a scent to the polish, it's not chemically AT ALL! They claim that Piggy Paint is "Natural as Mud" and it sort of resembled a muddy smell, in a good way. It reminded me of puffy paint from when I was a kid. Next I tried the remover. This I found to have NO SMELL whatsoever! I was amazed!

I set to work immediately painting my nails. It dried faster than any polish I've ever tried! I skipped the recommendation that you blow dry the polish after it's dried in order to set it and make it more chip resistant. By that evening it had chipped quite a bit and 3 of my toenails were completely stripped of the polish. Granted, as a mom and daycare provider I have my hands in and out of water all day long with all the dishes and diaper changes. With all the chipping I took it off after only a day. The polish makes you work a little to get it off but since it's odor free I didn't mind the extra time it took.

Next, I waited for a good opportunity to try it out on my testers, my 2 nieces and my son. He just can't be left out. I've even been known to do his hair when it was longer.
Here's what they had to say:
"It's so pretty!"
"(With a giggle) It tickles a little when you put it on."
"Look at my claws!" (my son, obviously!)

Washed, dried hands ready for polish!

After the first coat

After the second coat we used the blow dryer to set the polish and make it more chip resistant

Beautiful! All done!

"Hey look, it matches my shirt!"

Showing off his claws to the girls

We had such a fun time playing "nail salon." With more fun colors like Glass Slippers (a sparkly topcoat), Mac-n-Cheese Please (yup, it's orange), and Forever Fancy (think Fancy Nancy pink) we'll definitely have to buy more to try!

Piggy paint has generously offered all my readers 20% off (including sale items) until June 30th with the coupon code PINK20L and if you spend $25 shipping is free! Order the Little Miss Firecracker set (red, white, and blue) in time for the Fourth of July! Piggy Paints also make a great birthday gift or stocking stuffer idea!!!

While you and your kids are having fun playing nail salon you can incorporate some developmental benefits and make it a learning experience as well as a fun one:
  • Your child can hone in on her fine motor skills by painting her own nails (my 4 year old snuck and did his own pretty well) or by letting her practice on you or a friend.
  • If your toddler is beginning to learn her colors you can work on one color at a time by painting her nails and letting her find objects each day that match that color.
  • Try painting her nails in a pattern, say red blue red blue red blue for the upcoming Fourth of July. This is a great math and pre-reading skill to master.
*Ideas taken from the Piggy Paint website.

Piggy Paint Prices:

Piggy Paint Nail Polish $9.99
Piggy Paint Remover $10.50
Nail Polish Gift Packs (3 Colors) - $26.50
Nail Polish (2 colors) and 1 Remover Gift Packs - $27.50

Thanks Piggy Paint!

Friday, May 22, 2009

In the Land of Etsy

Wee Wood Natural Toys ($8.00)
I love the vibrant pirate family and the simplicity of the people.

Sun Beem Designs ($19.00)
These are too cute! I think they would make a darling decoration on a bedroom shelf when they aren't being played with, of course.

Discovery Denim ($40.00)
Capes are so fun! My son is always turning his blanky into some kind of cape or another. I love this pirate skull one.


Happy Squash Toys ($65.00)
Great design! I love the simple nature of this ship and the peg people bodies.

More wonderful things found on Etsy to come shortly...

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Up Next:


WonderWorld Toys are made from renewable rubber wood and are similar to other brands. I'm so excited to review these toys. Look for them online at Toys and Games Online.

New Sprig Toys are here!


Sprig Hollow is the newest line from Sprig Toys. Sprig is an environmentally friendly company concerned with keeping the planet healthy and keeping kids off the couch. Their lines are all "battery-free, eco-friendly, paint-free, kid-powered toys." A bio-composite material they call Sprigwood is made of wood and plastic that are recycled to form these child-safe toys.

While the recommended age is 3 and up I think younger kids could get just as much fun out of these playsets. Our neighbor's son came over to join us and he is just shy of 18 months. You could also use these in the bathtub or even a kiddie pool outside this summer. They are just so open-ended. Take a look...


Sprig Hollow comes in three separate sets:
Bee & Buterfly's Farm ($29.99) comes with the barn, truck, bee & butterfly figures, a scoop and funnel, and a beehive/flower pot with wildflower seeds embedded in paper. The barn and truck have pieces that snap together really quick! All the figures from this line have pop-out faces and wings and are all interchangeable.

Dragonfly's HeliScoopter ($14.99) comes with the Dragonfly figure, another seed paper for planting, a helicopter/sand shovel, and a landing pad/sifter. I love that all the equipment has dual uses and the sifter pad has to be my favorite!


DuneBug's Sand Truck ($14.99) includes the DuneBug figure, an easy to assemble truck with a bed that can be used as a bucket, a top top for a scoop, and a cab for a rake, and yet another seed paper! The figures sit atop the trucks or heliscooper perfectly.

Marshall was so excited to take the set outside when it finally warmed up. Although it's great for indoor play, it's PERFECT for summer sand & water adventures! We were glad for the excuse to clean out our sand box and poor in some new sand. I loved watching as Marshall brought the little characters to life. His imagination grew as he made them interact with each other. All set up and ready for play

Lined up and counting
DuneBug's Sandtruck

Dragonfly's Heliscoopter

The true toy test: every afternoon Marshall asks to go out and play in the sand box with his "barn set."