Homemade/Handmade: Baby Doll Dresses

What little girl, don't like some homemade/handmade baby doll clothes for her birthday? My little girl's friend was celebrating her birthday yesterday and before we left on a road trip, I whipped up some baby doll clothing really quick so I could give it to her. I am so glad to find out that she absolutely enjoys all the handmade clothing I made for her baby doll. These were just really easy and quick to make, and yes next time I will have a little easy tutorial on making a baby doll dress. 

While I was making some of these clothes, my little girl kept asking if they were for her little baby doll Sari. She too loves the clothes and wanting to keep them, but I explained it to her that these were for her friend. She did understand that and I promised her to make new clothes for her baby doll after Christmas. What a sweet girl. 

Anyway, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! I will see you all later! 

Don't forget the teeny-tiny bib! 

DIY: An Easy Baby Doll Carrier

This month was my little girl's 3rd birthday and part of her gift was a new baby doll that she named "Sari". Being the mama in me, I made my little girl's doll some tiny baby doll clothes, crocheted hats, and a baby doll carrier. Because, you know, they love to take their little baby doll with them wherever they go. Or when they play at the park and they climb around and stuff. Plus, a baby doll in a baby doll carrier is way too cute not to use one. Don't you agree? 

Today's DIY is not really a step-by-step tutorial because, like I always say, you can find tons of tutorials online now like on Pinterest. In fact, that's where I found the design of the baby doll carrier. Yaye to Pinterest, again! I actually made own pattern to this, and I just use my little girl's doll to decide the size that I want for the carrier, using the design I found online. Thank you to whoever first came up with this design. This DIY Baby Doll Carrier is so simple to make that I think even a beginner can do it. 

Since my little girl won't be carrying a really heavy baby doll, I used the snaps to attach the straps together. I have tons of snap left from when I used to make our own cloth diapers, so I use them in a lot of my projects from making my girl's clothes to making the carrier. Snaps are easy to install and easy for the little kids to use. But if you decide to make your own carrier, please feel free to use whatever you want. 

My little mama and her new baby Sari. I don't know where she came up with that name, but that's what she told us. I wish I had made the front owl pocket bigger to fit the baby bottle, but she told me it was okay because it can fit the little pink baby blanket. 

Do they look alike now? 

All covered in Chalk Powder. 

- I made my own little pattern from two art papers that I taped together. You can use a newspaper too, or whatever paper you have available. 

- Cut two of these in the fabric you want for the front and the back piece of the carrier. 

- Sew the sides of the two fabrics together, right side facing each other, except leave the bottom open, so you can flip your fabric right side out later on. And the bottom part is where you stitch your straps as well. 

- When making your straps, all you do is cut a long strip of fabric, to the width and length you need. Attach the straps to the bottom of your carrier and you have your almost finished carrier. The last thing to do is attach the straps or Velcro, and your carrier is done! I told you it was easy! 

(As you can see in the picture below, my straps are attached to the side because I made a mistake when I first made my pattern. My straps are wider than the bottom of the carrier. That is why on my pattern above, the bottom is wider so I could stitch my straps together and not to the side. It still works though). 

Baby doll carrying is a serious business. Didn't I say it comes in handy when climbing? 

I like the baby doll carrier so much that I thought of making another one for my little girl's friend. She too has her own baby doll and I see her carrying it everywhere she goes, that I thought she could surely use one. We are crossing our fingers and toes she will love it. 

This one is for a friend. I really wish I had some really cute fabrics left, but I don't have anymore, so I hope this one is cute enough. 

Next time on the DIY part, I am going to show you a few of the baby doll clothes I made. And maybe this time I will have a step-by-step tutorial on how to make an easy baby doll dress. What do you think? 

Let me know if ever you are making one or have made one and share us your photos on our Facebook page: Chetopian Family. Have a great one! And Happy Thanksgiving, America! 

Product Review: Hand- Crafted Toys From AmishToyBox.com

Today's product review is about a wooden toy that my little man received from AmishToyBox.com for free in exchange for an honest review. Since we are now nearing the Christmas/Holiday season, it is a perfect timing to share with you another gift idea that I think would make a perfect gift for your little one. 

But first, what is AmishToyBox.com? AmishToyBox.com is an online shop selling handcrafted Toys, Games, Doll Furniture, and Express Wagons and Trikes - all built to last by Amish Craftsmen. 

I have heard great things about Amish products and I have always been interested in it. When I learned about this online shop called AmishToyBox.com, I contacted the owner right away to see if we could sample some of their products online. Larry, and his beautiful family were so nice that they sent us this set of wooden toys for my boy. And to be honest with you, my little man had hours and hours of play time pushing his tractor across the floor while hauling the wooden hay bales. Even his little sister wants in on the fun, too. The day after we got the toy in the mail, my little man took it to school for his show-and-tell. He was that excited about it. 

What's In The Mail?

Wooden Toy Tractor And Wagon Set

Price: $32.50

Wooden Tractor and Wagon. What little boy (and big boys too) doesn't like to play with a tractor. This wooden tractor toy even comes with a wagon so you can bring in the hay! The Wooden Tractor and Wagon set is made by the Amish folks at Lapps Toys in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It features rolling wheels and detachable wagon. This tractor and wagon come ready to roll (literally) with a nontoxic Natural Harvest finish. The dimensions of the tractor and wagon together are 20"L x 5.5"H x 4.5"W. Choose between the tractor and wagon only or the tractor and wagon with 15 hay bales included.

For the Hay Bales: 
Hay Bales. Load up your tractor and wagon with some hay bales and go feed the stock. 15 realistic wooden hay bales with green, nontoxic finish. Each bale measures 2" x 1.25" x .75". Load these up on our wooden tractor and wagon and go make some hay!

What Do We Like About The Product?

- When it came in the mail, it was nicely packed in a box filled with lots of packaging peanuts inside to make sure that the wooden toys are protected during shipping. 

- We love that there was no assembly needed and we didn't have to take it out of its own box. No need to bust out a pair of scissors or possibly getting paper cut. Ouch! 

- We also love the fact that these are wooden toys and they have non-toxic finish, which is safe for both the kids and the environment. 

- With this wooden toy set, it is nice not to worry about any wire, metal, plastic , or paint that could potentially be hazardous. Although, if you do have curious little babies in the house and would love to chew on anything and everything, just be careful because those wooden hay bales are small enough to fit in their mouths. 

- While I watch my boy playing with his new tractor toy, it reminds me of the old days where they used to make simple toys that provide hours and hours of play time and encourages kids' imagination. 

What We Don't Like About The Product?

- Nothing! I don't think it needs any kind of improvement. There is nothing complicated about this toy, but a well-crafted toy that would be worth every penny if we were to buy it with our own money. 

Did I mention that the tractor not only hauls hay bales, but it can load up a doll house, too? It is a multipurpose type of a tractor. Thank you, AmishToyBox.com! 

What do you guys think of the Wooden Toy Tractor and Wagon Set? Do you think it would make a wonderful present for the little ones? Anyway, whether you are early shopping for Christmas/Holiday gifts, for birthdays, or for whatever reason it is you are shopping for toys, don't forget to check out the AmishToyBox website at http://amishtoybox.com/. Have a great one! 

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Product Review/Giveaway: Calico Critters Cozy Cottage

Christmas came early for my kids because they both got some new fun toys to play with. But today I am going to talk about this cute little Cozy Cottage first that we got for my little girl. It is from Calico Critters and it instantly became her new favorite toy of the day. She kind of forgot about the doll house that I made her out of a shoe box for a while. Remember that? 

Anyway, the Calico Critters company is a company that creates cute and fun toys for kids. It encourages them to use their imagination and enjoy oodles of playtime. The Calico Critters company has an amazing collection of toys from Houses & Environments, Shops & Restaurants, Families, School Series, Baby Play Series, to Gift Sets. Just to name a few. It is a kid's dream toy collection. If you haven't visited their site yet, you have to check it out to see it for yourself. And for a sneak peek, watch my video below to see what the Cozy Cottage looks like. 

Now let us move on to reviewing this baby because after that, we have a (drum roll please), a GIVEAWAY! I know! I am so excited for you and your little darling. Guarantee your little one will absolutely love this toy. Who wouldn't? There is something about cute little toy houses and cute little critters that little ones can't get enough off. But first, let's do the review, shall we?

What's In The Mail?

Cozy Cottage

Price: 
Item is in stock and ready to ship
USD$ 49.95

Product Description: 

Perfect way to start a Calico Critter collection! This cozy cottage comes fully assembled and ready to play with everything you need for hours of pretend play fun. Includes moveable, reversible floor to use as a front yard, expand the 1st floor, or create a 2 story house! Over 15 furniture pieces & accessories including Bell Hopscotch Rabbit, bed with matching sheets, square table with chairs, kitchen counter with sink & 3 storage areas, cutting board with chopping ""knife"", and movable ladder for easy access to each floor. House measures 10.5"" x 8"" x 10.75"". The Hopscotch Rabbit Family lives in this home. Some critters & accessories sold separately

What Do We Like About This Product?

- When it came in the mail, my little girl couldn't be more excited. I was excited! Just look at how beautifully packed this toy is in the box. Wonderful packaging! It was easy to get the toy out of the box, no need to get a knife of a pair of scissors. And we love that there was no assembly needed, which was good because we were eager to play with it. I mean, my little girl was. No sweat! 

- The box says it is for 3+, but do be careful because it has a few items that are small enough for the little ones to stick in their mouth and could possibly choke. It came with a small cutting board with a tiny knife that can be a choking hazard.

- When I asked them if I could do a product review on one of their products, they were quick to ship it to me. I bet if you were to order toys from their website that they too would ship it to you faster. 

- If you ask about the quality of the toy, I am really impressed. It is sturdy enough that can withstand hours and hours of play time. It is well-made, and things do not come off easily or destroy easily. When I look at it, it kind of reminds me of those vintage farm house or barn house toys. You know what I mean? It has that look and feel to it. 

- It is nice that my little girl can play with the toy house and customize it the ways she wants it. She can either add the second level of the house or remove the top floor easily and it can be just one level house. She can also remove the ladder or move it from side to side, however she wants it. 

- This cozy cottage toy doesn't come with those stickers to decorate the house like some other toy houses, which I kind of like it that way. The attention to details on the cottage like the roof, the windows, door, the wood looking floor, and all the little knickknacks that come with it are wonderful. And that little Calico Critters' Bell Hopscotch Rabbit is just the cutest thing ever! This is a toy that is definitely built for the little ones so they can have hours and hours of play time. What a great way to keep your kids occupied and happy! Don't you agree? I would say that this would make a great gift for this coming Christmas. Or for birthdays. Or a "Just Because" kind of gift for the little ones. 

What We Don't Like About The Product?

- I don't really have anything bad to say about the toys (we are easy to please) because it I see my little girl having so much fun with it, that it makes me happy. That's all I can say. 

These are the pieces that the Cozy Cottage came in with. 

If It Was My Money Spent To Buy The Toy, Was It Worth The Money?
- Absolutely! No doubt about it. 

And now for the fun part, the GIVEAWAY!!! 
(This is open to US residents only.)

Thank you to the awesome people at the Calico Critters company for sponsoring this giveaway.  One lucky you get to win One (1) of the Calico Critter Families, which by the way, they are so adorable! This might just be the start of your very own Calico Critters collection. All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway below. Don't worry, I won't bug you with so many unnecessary entries. There are only a few easy steps to enter for your chance to win. Thank you and Good luck, everyone!!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rafflecopter Code:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZTU5OGU2MjA5MGQ3YTk0MjQ5NWJjZDU3Y2MzNTNlOjQw/

Oh hey! Just in case you are not up for entering the Giveaway, don't worry because I got you a code for $10 off of your purchase when you shop at Calico Critter's website. Just use the code CHETOPIAN upon check out. You're welcome! It is that time of year now where parents are shopping early for Christmas presents, so don't forget to checkout Calico Critter's! Have a great one! 

And by the way, someone is celebrating her birthday today. Yaye! She is now 3! I can't believe how time really flies by fast. We couldn't stop asking her yesterday about how old is she was because we wanted to savor the moment where she says she is two. Now she is three and growing. Thank you, Dear God! Do you want to know what she says when we asked her what she wants for her birthday? She said she wants a watermelon and pasta. That is so cute! It goes to show how she loves her food. Watermelon and pasta, it is. We are going to get her a new bike this weekend, so that is exciting. Well, that is the plan anyway. A late birthday celebration. And thank you once again Calico Critters for an early birthday present for my girl.