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Plan Toys Push Along Duck Review

You know those toys you had a long time ago but forgot about until going through some mystery stash in the corner of a room? Then, all of the sudden they are a favorite once more? Our daughter’s Plan Toys Push Along Duck is one of those toys.

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We first got the duck, Quackers (original, I know), around the time our little girl started walking over a year ago. I remember growing up with one of those plastic push along poppers with balls enclosed in a bubble and how much I enjoyed running around making the most obnoxious noise and knew I did not want something like the Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Corn Popper for Avery.

Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Corn Popper

Fun toy for kids, but we try to limit the amount of plastics in our home, so this was an easy one to avoid. Just not a fan of everything that comes out of China to begin with. Plus, how cool is it to have a wooden duck with flappy feet to push around instead?

Yeah, it's pretty cool, Dad.
Yeah, it’s pretty cool, Dad.

When Quackers first waddled his way into our home, Avery enjoyed the new toy but didn’t seem too impressed.

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Yeah, I see the duck, but do YOU see I took off my sock?

I think Going Mom and I were more excited about the cute rubber feet flip-flopping along as it was pushed around the house; usually by us. One of Avery’s friends was instantly drawn to it during our NuttZo tasting party last year, and that’s all she played with the entire time. Obviously kids love once they see, feel, and hear it in action.

The natural rubber feet, which are easy to clean (trust me, this is a wonderful thing!) don’t make as much of an audible flappy noise as I’d expect. Guess it’s not such a bad thing, but when compared to the noise a Corn Popper makes, the feet are almost ninja-like. One reason is that the wooden wheels are very squeaky, almost to where you can’t even hear the feet flapping, and can quickly become irritating when your kid goes on a marathon duck pushing jaunt. An easy fix for this is something like WD-40 or, as I used, coconut oil. Problem solved!

Just the look and feel of the Plan Toys Push Along Duck proves it was built with quality care. Our destructive tot further proves this as it has stood up to the vigors of daily abuse. The paint has yet to chip and all of the parts are just as sturdy as the first day we bought it.

The latest use for Quackers is for him to “help” Daddy every time I vacuum. It’s cute, but when Quackers winds up between my feet and knocking into my legs multiple times as I clean around the house, it gets old….fast. But hey, if it makes my girl happy and not crying, I’ll take it!

plan toys push along duck, eco, toys, review

We love having fun, eco-friendly toys like the Plan Toys Push Along Duck, and I’d highly recommend one for any kid aged 1 and up. I wish the handle could be detached to make it easier for travel, but that’s a minor issue. I’m more concerned with getting hit by the rounded end on the handle, which happens A LOT. But again, just a minor thing that’s easily overlooked when it comes to the safety and happiness of our kid.

Plan Toys is one of our favorite eco-friendly toy companies as they use a variety of material like organic rubberwood, e-zero glue, water-based dyes, recycled and recyclable materials, soy and water-based ink and their proprietary PlanWood. All good things when it comes to what our kids are playing with all day.

Plan Toys Push Along Duck Review

Pros

  • High quality, eco-friendly construction that will last years
  • Sturdy, but light enough for little ones to easily push and maneuver
  • Makes for great imaginative play….like a vacuum, for instance
  • Freakin’ cute duck on a stick, what else can I say?

Cons

  • Wheels are very squeaky (can be fixed with a little oil as I mentioned)
  • Wish the stick could be removed for traveling
  • Can become a dangerous duck when it gets airborne or pushed into your legs, knees, and sometimes head.

If you’re looking for a great gift for an upcoming toddler birthday, this is a perfect choice. At just $24.99 on Amazon, it won’t break the bank but will warm the heart watching those little feet push their duck with a big grin!

I purchased the Plan Toys Push Along Duck and full price and was not compensated in any way for this review. All thoughts are strictly my own. Although I never collaborated with Plan Toys for this or any review, I’d love to work together for future product reviews. *Hint* *Hint* to any Plan Toys associates who happen upon this post. 🙂

Are You Ready to ‘Sleep Smarter’?

I’m a long time subscriber to The Model Health Show podcast created by Shawn Stevenson, a health and wellness professional, author, and awesome dad. His new book, Sleep Smarter, is set to release mid-March and I have the opportunity to help share with you!

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For the longest time, I would put sleep way down on the priority list thinking I could get by with 5 or less hours of sleep. After reading and listening to podcasts like The Model Health Show, I learned just how important sleep is for our bodies. Not just for rest, but for happiness, success, and overall well-being.

As part of the Sleep Smarter Launch Team, I will receive a copy of the book before its release for me to review. It’s set to arrive in my mailbox this week and I can’t wait to start reading immediately. Even better, I can read as I settle down for the night and relax on our Naturepedic EOS Series mattress.

Here are the details about the book as listed on the Sleep Smarter book web page:

Sleep Smarter is a fun and entertaining look at how sleep impacts your mind, body, and performance, without skimping on the “how to’s”to get you the sleep you really deserve. Sleep Smarter includes a fresh 14-Day Sleep Makeover Plan to help you optimize your sleep each and every night. This critically acclaimed book is loaded with tips and tricks like.

  • How to optimize your body temperature to fall asleep faster
  • How to hack sunlight to regulate your sleep hormones
  • Which clinically proven sleep nutrients and supplements you need to take and why
  • Why your mattress may be the cause of more than just sleep problems
  • The specific time of day to exercise to unlock more rejuvenative sleep
  • How to properly use therapies like massage and acupressure to quickly eliminate sleep problems
  • How to instantly reduce stress hormone levels to fall asleep faster and wake up more refreshed
    Sleep Smarter is the ultimate guide to sleeping better, feeling refreshed, and living a healthier, happier life.

I know having a quality mattress like what’s provided by Naturepedic is an essential part to a good sleep, but there’s so much to sleep that I never considered before. Sleep Smarter has 21 strategies to attain a healthful, energizing sleep to improve your life. And the stress part? Ohhhh boy, I am ready to learn about that part for sure!

If sleep is something you know you need more of (as most parents do!) or don’t consider that important, I strongly urge you to pre-order the book here. You’ll  also receive several amazing bonuses if you pre-order before 3/14/16. I’ll be sharing more about Sleep Smarter and the overall benefits of getting good sleep in future posts, so be sure to check back frequently.

While you’re waiting, pre-order your copy and listen to Shawn on The Model Health Show to learn all about leading a healthy life for you and your family. Speaking of, Shawn is also part of a podcast on fatherhood called The Good Dad Project, another favorite I highly recommend!

Keep Her Warm and Fashionable with Bootzies: The Original Boot Tights

To avoid any confusion, this is an old post (as you can tell by the pictures of my daughter) that I simply updated. She grew out of the Bootzies, but they were enjoyed while they fit her. Hopefully you’ll give them a try for your little one!



Woot, Summer is gone and Fall/Autumn has arrived! For most of us, this means cooler weather and pumpkin themed everything is starting to appear.

Yep, even wildlife takes part!

Time to put away your little girls’ t-shirts and short-sleeved onesies and break out the long sleeves, pants, and socks. If your baby is anything like Avery when you try to dress her, the thought of dressing her in more clothes is daunting.

Going Mom and I essentially play a mini version of Twister sans the color dotted mat every time we dress Avery. What’s that? But you love playing Twister? Yeah, so did I, before dressing an unruly baby with crazy-limb flailing about.

A while back, I saw pictures of other babies dressed in boot tights called Bootzies and thought they were (for lack of a better, more manly word) adorable. I wanted these for Avery and knew they’d be perfect for when the Texas heat simmered down.

I reached out to Bootzies asking if they’d be interested in sending some of their Boot Tights in trade for a review, and they graciously agreed!

The creator of Bootzies, Christina, was inspired to create these functionally fashionable boot tights for her infant daughter, Julia. She thought it would be a cute to have cowboy boots for her, but obviously knew the real thing would not be practical. After a little brainstorming, Christina came up with Bootzies. These would allow babies to comfortably scoot, crawl and walk without losing her socks or shoes. Plus, it would always look like her outfit was complete!

Immediately after receiving 3 stylish pairs of Bootzies Boot Tights, I dressed Avery to see how she liked them.

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I appreciate how these are pants and socks in one which makes dressing her easier and she doesn’t have socks to pull off right away. I’d say she took to liking them rather fast. Just minutes after having them on, she looked ready to start marching…..and she doesn’t even walk yet!

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And with that, I let her march/crawl around the house to get a feel for her new attire. Starting in the kitchen, we crawled around to check things out.

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Let me note right now that the Bootzies provide little traction for your crawler when on a wood floor. The carpet is fine, but smooth surfaces provide a challenge when crawling since they slip around. Once they can walk, the grips on the feet will come in handy, but until then have fun watching them scoot around!

Of course, all is well when there’s a walker around to help stabilize in the standing position.

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All of the movement must of made her hungry, because before I knew it, she was reaching in the freezer looking for food.

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I guess she lost her appetite after only finding frozen broccoli and brussels sprouts since she quickly moved on to see what was happening out of the front window.

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I later tried on another pair which I think are my favorite. Dressing her was even easier since I had a better hang of it, and still really love not messing with socks that will ultimately get pulled off within minutes.

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This time we started in her room where she had to check out her mini bell wreath on the closet. Then she moved on to her giant farm animal cards and seemed quite interested.

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From there, we migrated into the kitchen where she handled the slippery surface better than before.

Bootzies, baby fashion, apparel, clothes

She even moved some of the rug just to stay on the wood floor. I guess she likes a challenge!

Bootzies, baby fashion, apparel, clothes

I’m very excited and grateful to have these Bootzies to dress Avery in as the temps drop and the seasons change. Not only are these precious, they make the hassle of cold weather dressing much more bearable!

Besides being slippery on hard floors like wood or laminate, my only other minor issue with these is the grippy part of the foot will easily get turned to where it’s on top of her foot. Obviously, that makes it slippery, but I’m hoping that as she grows, this will not be a problem. Either way, these will get a lot of use this season!

Want to pick up some Bootzies for the little fashionista in your life? With sizes ranging from ages 0 all the way to 4 years old, there’s bound to be a style you’ll love for your little one. Check out their online store here and put in your order before the cold sets in.

Be sure to show Bootzies your love on Facebook and Twitter too. Send pictures of your baby in Bootzies to info@bootzies.net for a chance to have them showcased on their Facebook page and added to their online Gallery.

Have you seen Bootzies before?

Do you have a little girl you know that these would be simply precious to wear?

Full disclosure, Bootzies provided me their products free of charge, but all opinions are strictly my own.