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”

Handmade Lovelies to Have and to Hold

Once upon a time, handmade gifts were the norm. It was not uncommon or unusual for someone to make something to mark a special occasion or person. In this fast and furious time of mass-manufactured products, receiving a handmade gift today is like a breath of fresh air and oftentimes a nice and unexpected surprise.

Stop into Baby Awearness, check out our array of beautiful handmade goodies just in courtesy of Muumuu Heaven, and surprise someone special today.

(From top left, clockwise)
1) A cuddly and adorable Daijyobu Bear. Daijyobu means "no worries, it will be alright," in Japanese. Bears are fashioned out of vintage fabrics, button joints, and pompom eyes. All materials are reclaimed, remnants, or recycled. Available in small and large bear hugs.

2) Peace Catchers, or Bird mobiles. Made from fabric scraps, these birds are strung with shells and vintage beads deconstructed from retro jewelry, and crystal pieces from a chandelier once displayed at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. The driftwood is from local beaches.

3) Vintage Owl. Like the bears, these owls are made from vintage fabrics and buttons and meant to bring cheer and goodwill. Owls are considered a good omen in Hawaiian and Japanese culture.

4) Heavenly Patchwork Quilt. Lovingly sewn by quilting circles of grandmas and seasoned elders in care homes, these blankets will keep you and your little ones warm, loved, and safe. Again, all fabrics are recycled remnants from muumuus and aloha shirts. (LL)

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

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