Bamboletta Blog

 So – I’m starting my Friday uploading this week. What this means is that I will post all dolls for sale on Fridays, sometime in the afternoon. I still have loads of clothing that I have to list and loads more coming. Reggie just emailed me saying that she’d just finished up over 50 (!) dresses for us! I’ve also got more kimono sets coming up too.

unicornorange.jpg

And – I just ordered in a bolt of this fabric – is this not to die for? I loved unicorns when I was little, this just brings back all those memories. I’ve mentioned this before but I really try to find fabrics that have both style and invoke a child’s imagination. That Heather Ross, she is so awesome. I think I’d freak out if I ever met her. I want to load more  fabric pictures but for some reason my blog site has been acting all weird since I switched over.

It’s Ben’s birthday this weekend. My parents, Nonna and my sister are coming over for the weekend for the celebration. We are planning a treasure hunt to end at our new favorite beach. John will go there in the early morning to bury a rubbermaid bin full of ‘treasure’. I have had such a hard time finding him stuff for his birthday. Five is a hard age to buy for when you have a real aversion to small plastic parts. I went into Toys R Us yesterday and was shocked and really dissapointed at what is being sold to kids these days. I followed a dad with his 4 and 5 year old sons, seeing if I could pick up some hints from them as to what to buy B.  Army guys, Transformers (which I have to admit I LOVED when I was a kid – Robots in Disguise!), just so much fighting stuff. What the heck are we doing to our kids? Don’t even get me started on all the plastic packaging involved. My heart was a little heavier when I left there. I know I shouldn’t have kept it so last minute, but with the kids getting sick, his birthday caught me by surprise. I could always make him a doll. Ha!

xo

C

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12 responses to “”

  1. Amber Avatar
    Amber

    I was so into all things unicorn when I was 13 or so. I had unicorn figurines, unicorn jewelry, unicorn artwork. I was obsessed in the way that only a 13 year old can be. So you know I think that fabric is great!

    And I hear you on the toys. And the packaging! So much waste, just so that a bunch of plastic will look nice on display. We really can’t keep going this way, the planet can’t take it.

    Reply
  2. Chris Avatar
    Chris

    I hear ya on the Toys R Us thing. I also have this aversion to “Made in China” lately too. That REALLY elimates almost all store toys. I have pretty much just been getting handmade purchases for my little one. The relatives bombard our house with enough plastic toys. I am trying to limit my purchases to things my daughter might still want when she’s older (and ideally will keep to share with her kids.

    LOVE the unicorn fabric too. I was (and still am) so in to horses I would have LOVED that fabric. Heck, I’m a grown up and I love it now. 🙂

    Reply
  3. admin Avatar
    admin

    YEs – the Made in China thing is another deterrent for me as well. Toys R Us is just so counterproductive, I mean, our kids are learning about the environment from us and our school and everyone around them yet a source of pleasure and fun for them is THIS store? If I bought stuff from there I’d feel like the biggest hypocrite. Today I have a few hours and I’m running up to the fabric store when it opens to see if I can find a pirate and astronaut dress up pattern. I’ll see what I can make for my little guy.

    Reply
  4. Stacy Avatar
    Stacy

    And when in doubt I find that good art supplies are always good in a pinch 🙂

    Reply
  5. Casey Avatar
    Casey

    One thing my son loved at age five – and still today- are weather kits. Sometimes you can find them online or you could make your own version – something to trap and measure water…. a wind gauge, etc. He also loved recording the weather in a little book and he would make charts and graphs. HAHA!! Just an idea!! Happy Birthday!!

    Reply
  6. Leah Killian Avatar
    Leah Killian

    Yes- little boys get very hard to buy for in the non-plastic department.

    Our favs include dress ups, books and art supplies.

    Eliminating plastic all together is just nearly impossible. At least yours goes to a waldorf school and isn’t getting sucked into all things plastic-crap by his peers. I decided not to beat myself up over it and to just try to keep a realistic balance. I think it would do more damage to tell my kids they could never ever have a My Little Pony or a Transformer than it would to say ok- in moderation. They don’t need 50 ponies, for example, but 1 or two well loved ones is alright. I’m more concerned with the issue of excess and are my kids really playing with this.

    So- we buy a few, but usually go for other things 🙂

    Reply
  7. Ashley Avatar
    Ashley

    We love the fabric!!!! My oldest daughter (5 1/2) always checks your site with me and now she is begging for a dress or skirt made from this unicorn fabric! As a mother of three daughters, I can’t give too much advice for shopping for little boys – how about a leather pouch to wear and carry treasures in? If he takes after his mama, your guy may be ready for some leather working tools and a stash of scrap leather!

    Reply
  8. Emily M. Avatar
    Emily M.

    a couple dress up costumes is a fabulous idea. as is the treasure hunt!!! love it. i adore toys and have already been thinking of my son’s 5th birthday in November. was thinking along the lines of pirates/treasure, and in searching came across this super cool website where you can buy replicas of dubloons and coins like that. so cool! i know it’s too late for now, but maybe next time? http://www.greatamericancoincompany.com/Pirate-Coins-and-Doubloons-c5.html anyway, good luck!

    okay, and the unicorn fabric–i adore it. and searched the internet for it. and can’t find it. where oh where can i buy some for myself?

    and one more thing–my sister just brought over the doll for my daughter’s birthday (do you even remember my order? 😉 going to just assume so). her birthday is at the end of next month, and will for sure be sending you photos!!! and i think purchasing some more clothing…

    Reply
  9. Cheryl Avatar
    Cheryl

    Thats what Home-Depo is for, pick up a garden shovel or a pail and you can usually get the keys they don’t use for free paint-sticks made into puppets and of course a wool eye patch for the pirates and possible a parrot or small knitted bird. Also the rocks that they can crack open either the make it yourself kind with coffee grinds then you could put small coins or rocks and minerals or the geods? ( not sure of the spelling ) Good luck with the party!

    Reply
  10. lauralee Avatar
    lauralee

    I KNOW what you mean! I have three boys.. almost 8, almost 6 and 2. It is hard to find boy presents that aren’t violent, worthless and have millions of parts. Thinking of what my 5 and 7 year old play with the most…. a “flying turtle” (amazon has them), a pogo stick, rollerblades, magnifying glass, red wiggler worms (for the compost.. they love them), harmonicas, fairy tale books, wood tanagrams, origami paper and book, a “knitting tower” (seriously, they both LOVE them), modeling beeswax, kid digital cameras, binoculars, a bird sound book…. there are things out there they like that won’t drive you too crazy! It has taken me a while to come up with them I must admit. Oh, they both have dolls… 🙂 My two year old doesn’t yet but I’m watching for a boy that looks like him. Besides their one doll, they also have an Ugly Doll and they think those are really funny for some reason. Love your dolls, your site… it is all great! How do you do it all?!!!
    thanks ~lauralee

    Reply
  11. admin Avatar
    admin

    really – you ladies ROCK! thanks so much for the suggestions! I’m going into the ‘big city’ tomorrow am for thread and will have a hunt around for some stuff 🙂 I’ll let you all know what we end up with!

    Reply
  12. Michelle Z. Avatar
    Michelle Z.

    My go-to present for boys – a big Tonka dump truck. The metal ones, not the plastic ones. Those things last forever (my parents still have mine from when I was little) and what boy doesn’t like dump trucks? We have a really big one that my boys can even ride in down our hill (that was certainly not it’s intended purpose, as it gives me gray hairs, but boys will be boys).

    Reply

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