Let’s Talk Dolls With Julliet Lowe

What makes dolls so magical?

Dolls are the last toys out there in the world of talking creatures that even adults can still hear.

Most adults have lost touch with their childhood and through the help of a doll, this magical world awakens again. When your doll speaks, everything else joins in, soft toys, pets, and households appliances.

As parents/ storytellers, we have the opportunity to open gates to a world where animals talk and inanimate objects have their own stories to tell. Here is a world where everything is alive. Dolls provide an awesome outlet to explore with your young child regarding all of life’s challenges and how we relate to them.

To give a doll to your child, symbolically, you are saying, “ This is your first of tasks, the care for your essential self.” A doll is often the first real responsibility in the life of a child. I recall both my children taking the time to feed their dolls, change their clothes, and turn them into wonderful companions.  This exchange brings baby “alive” and through this care, taps into the child’s higher self and mission in the world. When they threw their babies around, I gently reminded them that babies are treated with loving hands and they picked up their babies with care and tucked them to sleep in their doll beds. It is with this attention that the doll remains alive. It is when the doll is thrown in a drawer or buried in a pile that the doll dies.

Dolls may help us talk to our children about death, environment, terrible noises, war, life, hope, and questions that cannot be answered.

The ideal doll is a simple one without much detail. A doll with a simple face is able to mirror all your child’s moods and can express anything.  Happiness, sadness, fear, anger, etc. It is really hard to imagine a doll being sad when there is a happy face painted permanently on their face.
Again, simple is best. Imagine a doll that may grow with your child, laugh and cry with your child. This is a magical doll.

Here is an example of a parent using their child’s doll, “Sally” to create a story;

“Sally the doll sat in the laundry leaning against the sink tap.
‘Don’t you ever get dizzy?’ She asked.’ Not really,’ said the dryer in a grumbling voice. ‘Just a little hot and bothered.’

‘Where does all the fluff come from?’ asked Sally. ‘Off the clothes of course,’ said the dryer with a giggle.

Sally heard a thump, strangely recurring.’Ohhhhhh,’ said the dryer with a groan,’ I wish she wouldn’t do the sneakers, they give me such a belly ache.”

One more example of a story from a dolls perspective about a child’s doll that disappeared and then resurfaced:

         Guess where I have been?
          I’ve been up in the air on the back of bird.
          I was inside the blue sky.
         A bee flew past and buzzed in my ear.
         Then the bird flew down
         and gently put me
         right back here.

Blessings to you and yours,

Julliet Lowe

Let’s Talk Toys With Julliet Lowe

Introducing  Camden Rose at Baby Awearness!
  

“Each item that we sell is meticulously constructed by craftspeople that specialize in their art. Our items are not mass-produced, rather they are created one-by-one, the old-fashioned way. Our toys are constructed to last through multiple generations and the materials that make up the toys are gathered through organized sustainability programs. We use the highest quality materials, all certified non-toxic. Toys made from natural materials such as wood, silk, wool or beeswax have a warm and honest quality that does not give a false impression of weight, mass or touch. It is our responsibility to provide an environment that tells the story of our world honestly                                                       and at the same time protects that world."

Unless noted, ALL items offered by Camden Rose are made in the United States with materials gathered from sustainably sources. This is a choice in the protection of our future. By utilizing skilled American craftsmanship we assist in the renaissance of great American manufacturing. We also have assisted in the creation of a Fair Trade worker-owned cooperative outside of Lima, Peru. We diligently work to broaden the notion of family to include everyone in need of assistance. We feel that all people should have equal opportunity to flourish in life.”

This book and block set is simple, yet extremely clever and loads of fun for all! The story was designed to introduce some of the ways in which three simple shapes can be organized to form a wide variety of people, animals and objects. This is not only fun, but also deeply educational, as it increases the capacity for both creativity and geometric thinking. While reading the story, children and adults alike arrange and fit the blocks in the shapes pictured. After reading the story a new story of ones own can be made by tracing new shapes on paper and creating ones own book. From flowers to animals to the moon, the creation of objects is limited only by the imagination.

Our NEW Camden Dolls are crafted with pure wool innards, a cotton shell and cotton clothing. All of the girl dolls have a hairstyle with a matching cloth band that can be undone and the hair can restyled differently. Each doll is packaged with an identity card that tells a story about that particular doll and the Camden Rose Fair Trade Cooperative. Each doll is made by hand by hearing disabled women in our Fair Trade cooperative in Lima, Peru.

Please, E Kipa Mai.” Come Visit Us”

Let's Talk Toys With Julliet Lowe

Coming Soon: Green Toys!

Start Simple: Recycled Plastic Milk Jugs 

We use recycled milk containers as the main ingredient in creating our toys. Yes, the exact plastic milk jugs that you and your family drink from everyday. When you finish your milk and toss the container in the recycling bin, these milk containers are collected at your curb by a local recycling company, who then sorts them from all the other types of plastic. Next, the milk containers are reprocessed into super clean fresh plastic. For you plastic geeks, the plastic material we use is called high-density polyethylene (or HDPE). This material is considered one of the safest and cleanest plastics around.

Made in California, U.S.A.: Less Transportation, Less Energy 
All Green Toys products are 100% made in the USA. To be more specific, they are produced in California, a state known for strict toy safety and environmental laws. It's cool to buy U.S.A. but also think about this: transportation is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gasses. We all know driving less is good for mother nature, but did you ever think about how many miles a toy logs before it ends up in your local store?

Our toys are truly local creations. Every step of the process -- from milk container recycling to toy production to final assembly -- occurs in California. Our raw materials and toys aren't shipped from overseas, which saves a lot of energy and reduces greenhouse gasses. It also guarantees your toys won't get seasick before they get to your home!

Let's Talk Toys with Julliet Lowe

The Educational Value Of  Natural Toys

We all strive to live on a healthy plane. We strive for sincerity and love. This in itself is a form of education. Education, for me, means to draw out what we already have within ourselves.

When our children take an interest in something, whether it be from a toy in front of them or a school subject, they will follow that interest with intense concentration. This is when true learning takes place. We as parents have the responsibility to help our children unfold under our protection and guidance. We watch them bloom into wonderful personalities.   Healthy children grow up to benefit themselves, their parents, and essentially, the entire world.

I use this as my goal when purchasing toys for Baby aWEARness. Here's a sneak peek as to what's coming soon..

Push Toys

Pull Toys

Music Toys

Food Play

Happy Playtime to you and yours,
Julliet Lowe

Let's Talk Toys with Julliet Lowe

Looking for a simple, open-ended toy for the growing minds of your keiki? Come check out our PLAYSILKS!

What is a play silk? A play silk is a piece of silk fabric that's used in a variety of ways. Just the other day, I saw a mom take off a scarf that she was wearing around her neck and give it to her baby to play with so she could get some work done. Then, with the same cloth, she used it as a sling to carry her baby out of the store with. I was like, "Yes! this is what I'm talking about! Creative forces at work.

Play silks may be used as capes, skirts, pants, hats, veils, animal tails, and the very next day, the same silk may be used to make green grass for the animals, blue water to sail their boats on, rainbows in the sky, as a sling to wrap their dolls up in, to build forts, create puppet show curtains, perform magic tricks... are you getting the picture? Super cool right!

This ancient product out of China is a natural fiber and renewable resource. It shimmers and shines with lead-free color, feels good to touch, and is the exact opposite of itchy. Infinite possibilities of play.

Children may hand wash their silks with warm water, mild soap, and hang it out to dry. To restore it's beauty and shine, iron with steam on medium heat setting and you're good to go! This product is great for children 3+.

Play silks make awesome, unique gifts..gotta see it to believe it! Warmest Blessings to you and your Blossoming Babies!

Julliet Lowe

Let's Talk Toys with Julliet Lowe

You're out shopping for a baby gift and/or birthday present for a special little someone in your life and you're wondering what to get..

Here are some questions to keep in mind.

1. Is it about quality or quantity? A quality toy lasts a lifetime vs. a quantity toy, where parts are cheaply made and break in a short time.

2. Is the toy beautiful? How will this toy affect my child? Does the toy feel good to touch and hold? Typically toys made from natural materials will be more satisfying than those made from plastic, particle board, and other synthetic materials.

3. Last but not least, does the toy smell? This might sound weird but our modern environment tends to overstimulate all the senses, including the sense of smell. Toys that have a strong plastic or perfumed smell should be avoided.

Baby aWEARness supports the idea that play is essential for healthy physical and mental development of each child.

Meet our Evi doll selection 

 

We provide toys that encourage spontaneous free play - such as playing with dolls.

  

 Sophie the Giraffe

Toys that help develop imagination and self direction

 Kinderkram Dumptruck

Kinderkram Farmhouse with Animals

 Wooden Sitching Cheese

Toys that are beautiful..

Beautiful Playsilks

Taggies-100% certified organic cotton fibers, pure silk ribbons, safe dyes,wonderful for baby while being sensitive to the world in which they thrive.

Please visit us in store if you have any questions or would like to learn more about the toys featured here.


Warmest Blessings to you and yours,
Julliet Lowe

Lets Talk Toys with Julliet Lowe

Welcome to the land of "make believe." This is a wonderful age (between 2 to 5 years old) where children love to pretend. We had a mom walk into the store a while ago with her son dressed up like a fireman. He truly was a fireman in that costume.Those of us with daughters know all about the "princess" world and it never fails to amaze me how kids can imitate with instant accuracy.This type of creative play involves both growth and development and changes daily.

Baby aWEARness provides toys that stimulates this stage of play. Your little aspiring chef will have loads of fun preparing a healthy stir fry one day and prepare a yummy sushi meal the next. Everyday can be your birthday with our Melissa and Doug cake set.


We have building blocks that "becomes" scenes for villages.. or where your little ones imagination can turn them into boats or telephones.

Firetrucks, Dump trucks, Excavators, Trains, all provide hours of fun! These vehicles made out of natural beechwood with rubber tires have knobs to move for steering which makes it's function all the more cool!

Until the next, Let's Talk Toys..Happy Play time!

-Julliet Lowe

Lets Talk Toys with Julliet Lowe

Just how important is play in early childhood?
Joseph Pearce, "Child Play" 1993 has said, "All children want to do is learn which they try to do through their greatest learning tool, play."
Today, our keiki have so many toys to play with but they can do less and less with these toys. Also, too many toys can overwhelming and you might find that your little one may play with none of them. So how do we find a balance?
I'm a parent, who like you, wishes to provide our children with beautiful, natural, high quality toys. You know, The kind that still has magic in them. The kind where children need to work hard to find that magic and bring it out during play time. A good example would be a play silk: It might act as an ocean one day and turn into a cape fit for a king the next.

Baby aWEARness recognizes this need and believes that even though hand crafted toys cost alittle more, your child will benefit, blissfully unaware of its educational and growth development value. We would like to feature our Evi dolls made in Brazil this week.
Evi dolls, a simple doll, soft, warm, and made from natural fibers, provide an image of a human being for your child.
I've watched my own children adopt their dolls into their lives, giving them names and providing unconditional love towards them. I've observed the way they play act their own experiences with their dolls and was glad to see this healthy exchange.
Stay tuned for our next Let's talk Toys! blog. I would love to hear about your experiences as well.
warmest Blessings to you and yours,
julliet

Nova Natural Toys!

We are so excited to have Julliet Lowe from the Enchanted Forrest Store at Waldorf ordering our toys now! Check out some of the products we ordered this week:



A perennial favorite, this Rainbow Tunnel Set is one of our most versatile toys! Cut from a solid block of wood, all of its brightly colored arches fit perfectly into one another. With a little imagination, they become cozy caves for woodland gnomes and animals, bridges for block play, rocking boats for dolls, and even a telescoping caterpillar.


What child doesn't wish they could be a little taller? With our Walking Blocks, they don't have to wait until they are older. Stepping up onto them and grabbing the ropes, they are instantly 6" taller. The fun is then figuring out how to walk with them!



Make sure you stop by the store soon to see the new toys for yourself! All our love!