I promised some more amazing baby items from this smart and savvy mom, and you won’t be disappointed. Keep in mind the price point for organic cotton is high, except in this case.

Under The Nile uses only the finest Egyptian Cotton, yet their prices are competitive with what you would find in your local department store and in some cases, better.  Plus, you won’t find this brand just anywhere. I was so pleased to come across them and I know you will be too.

Organic Cotton Trouser: Incredibly soft against baby’ skin.  The vibrant color made from all natural vegetable dye adds to the incredible look of these inexpensive little pants.

Organic Cotton Long Sleeve Lap Shoulder Tee: Pair these with the softest trousers ever and you have a simple little outfit that looks great and washes well.  With a roomy shoulder opening, this no fuss top matches everything in baby’s wardrobe. Best to pick up a few.

Organic Cotton Terry Romper: Get them dressed quickly and effortlessly with this one-piece romper from Under The Nile.  Also available in blue, this outfit dries quickly (on a hot summer day!) thanks to its cool and comfy terry lining.

Organic Cotton Loungewear: How cute is this?  We were lucky they even made bathrobes when I was a kid!  This is perfect for those fall evening walks in a stroller or last minute summer dips in the pool.  They’ll be warm and cozy with the attached hood.  Perfect after-bath attire, too

This is just a sampling of some of my favorites that Under The Nile has to offer, but check out the complete collection on Pricegrabber.

As I was strolling around a music festival the other day, I happened upon some very artsy vendor’s selling beautiful handmade clothing, jewelry, etc.

Over in one little corner of one of the artist’s booth was a very whimsical display of her handmade finger puppets, each one cuter than the next.  This is not a toy you’ll see around much these days I thought to myself and I promptly picked out a half dozen to take home with me. I checked Pricegrabber to see if they offered any puppets, and here are the ones that I loved.

The Cirque Du Soliel Finger Puppiezes from Manhattan Toy is a set of finger puppets based on the very popular musical and includes four puppiezes for little fingers to enjoy.  They can stand on their head like real acrobats or walk down the stairs with the help of some little fingers!

Make a stage out of a shoebox, and have your kids put on their very own show.  They can decorate the stage and even add a tightrope for their new friends with a bit of string and some glue. Add some music to the production and watch their personalities shine!

Manhattan Toy  makes some other great toys for babies too. ( Biggles Ball.)

It just tickled me pink when I saw this organic chicken from Lana Organic. It makes me laugh to look at it right now!

Of course it is totally cute and cuddly, but it also has the added benefit of resonating with any child growing up in a green home these days. Watching mommy or daddy shop for organic vegetables and organic milk and organic…chicken to take home makes those kids of ours tuned into organic. So why not bring home one for baby?

And since babies the world over chew and gnaw at everything in sight, knowing it’s made from certified organic cotton and non toxic dyes will make you feel good about giving it to baby. The more we hear about lead and chemicals and nasty other toxins in the toys we give our children, the more I’m determined to buy only certified safe toys and keep the dubious ones out of my home.

This little chicken measures 7 inches and is machine washable - a must in our house where we try to limit the number of toys we buy. We know that bodily emissions are a given, so why not plan ahead? One note, though - it’s not dryer safe so plan for extra drying time.

Small play figures are great for encouraging pretend play for both girls and boys. Rather than hard plastic, immobile figures with which we often played, why not buy your little one a soft and flexible doll family from Plan Toys?

Made from recycled rubber wood with vegetable dyes and coated with a non-toxic finish these dolls are safe for children ages three and up. We have a number of these dolls at our house and are a favorite present we give to both girls and boys.

One thing I like about them is because they are small they work well with fire trucks, dump trucks and all of the other large vehicles boys tend to have around and also are the perfect size for most dollhouses. Because they bend they can easily slip into a driver’s seat, rest in a chair and pull right up to the doll sized table.

Children can also dress and undress them or re-dress them in scraps of fabric and felt. My son has been known to add a sword crafted from a small stick and attached with a pipe cleaner.

In our increasingly multi-cultural country, it’s great that you can get doll families from a variety of cultures too!

I’ve been writing about dolls all this week. I’ve covered infants and toddlers. Now I’d like to move on to preschoolers. No, it’s not yet time to introduce the fashion dolls. Here’s the theory from child development experts. Children need to imitate that which they know best at each age. This helps them process information and find their place in the world.

Unless your child regularly attends fashion shows and has sprouted, umm… female curves, her world is pretty small and is more focused on watching mom and dad take care of her and any siblings. (By the way, this goes for boys too, who will, if given half a chance feed and cuddle a baby doll -more on this in another post.)

Preschoolers love dolls with a few more features and ones that…look just like them! That’s actually the whole secret to picking out a doll. Pick on that looks the same age or slightly older than your child for maximum pretend play!

This Maki Earth Girl Doll has all the right developmental attributes and is eco –friendly too! It’s made from natural and recycled products and has a built in eco activity. Each doll comes with a backpack and a tree planting kit. Though, since I’m assuming the kit includes a seed that will someday turn into a tree, unless your planning on staying in the same home for the next 20 years or so…it might not end up being a very large tree, at least while you’re around to see it.

Let a little nostalgia into your life with Cabbage Patch Kids! I just gave one of these dolls to my neighbor’s daughter and I don’t know who was more delighted – mom or child. They’re just as you remember them  - the same puckered up face; the same fluffy hair and the same, circa 1980’s fashion choices.

I’m picky about dolls and try to purchase the right doll for the right age. For infants and babies, a doll that’s more of a glorified rag, that is, like the home made rag dolls grandma’s grandma made is just right. But, around three, a child is ready for a little more lifelike doll. I still shy away from the ubiquitous 19 inch fashion doll quite yet, but a little more life-like baby doll is perfect for this age.

The Play Along 25^th Anniversary Cabbage Patch Doll has just enough baby-like features to intrigue a young child used to watching mom and dad diaper, bathe and feed him or herself or a younger sibling. The 2s and 3s are the developmental age when children imitate that which they know best which is…what goes on in the home. This makes them secure.

It makes me feel secure too when I see a child practicing to be a caring parent!

Over the next few weeks, I’ve decided to dig through PriceGrabber toys  and select my favorites. Since I’m rather particular about what my child drags around the house, chews on and is well, exposed to – posts over the next few weeks won’t appeal to everyone, but will be healthy for mind and body.

This week, I’m planning to cover dolls. Let’s start with first dolls. Since most child development experts recommend, less is more”, I try to look for dolls with no buttons; limited action and few features. Dolls that don’t tell children what to think, how to feel or are limited to the specific action they do (drink, pee, etc.) have more play value too!

I like dolls for infants and babies that spark the imagination. The fewer expressions and features the better. That’s why I like this Happygreenbee Organic Cotton Abbee Doll. It’s cuddly and huggable and perfect for dragging around the house by one leg.

It’s also organic, is certified by SKAL International, members of the Organic Trade Association and made by a company, Taraluna that uses fair trade practices and spends quite a bit of time ensuring that their products are green. I’m not sure where they make their toys, but I’m guessing – NOT IN CHINA!

OK, It’s not not really stuffed with soy beans.

This cute, cuddly stuffed penguin from Aurora Naturally is stuffed with fluffy Kapok fiber made from the pod of the Kapok tree – a sustainably harvested crop from the rain forests of Indonesia. The organic plush exterior of each black and white buddy is made from soy fiber, another ecologically sound crop alternative to traditional fibers.

There have been so many reports and concerns about toxins all over the news, that we parents now tend to gaze suspiciously at every toy brought into the house. So, it is with some relief that I read about these new, organic toys. Kapok fiber is hypoallergenic too, so is great if you’re concerned about your child’s reaction to traditional plush animals.

We have several of these soft, cuddly friends and they make a great addition to the zoo that lives on my son’s bed. The sweet expressions and realistic detailing are such an improvement over the blank stares and painted on faces found on too many stuffed animals today. And the fur is unbelievably soft too!

This cute penguin is a great shower gift. New mothers today are particularly aware of the hazards associated with so many traditional toys. And the price is right for just about any budget.

There’s no better doll for a toddler or preschooler than a Kathe Kruse Doll. These great dolls have gained a new popularity in recent years as many of us yearn for a simpler life.

I’m a big fan of the Waldorf philosophy, as it applies to younger children - the part that eschews pushing children ever faster toward adult hood and encourages developing their imagination. So these mermaid dolls, handmade in Germany, with their cuddly, natural materials are high on my list.

Many child development experts bemoan the loss of childhood – where baby dolls are rapidly tossed away in favor of fashion dolls at an early age; where by age 13 children seem to be completely beyond old fashioned toys. In fact, even toy manufacturers, especially toy manufacturers, are troubled by this trend. We’re inadvertently pushing our kids too rapidly to play with toys we enjoyed at a later age

So, why not take a step back and buy a soft and simple doll for the little girl in your life? I’ve purchased a number of Kathe Kruse dolls and this mermaid one is just perfect for summer.

Don’t take her out to the pool though – she actually can’t swim!