Every child loves to see their name in print and if there’s a way to make seeing your name in print more exciting, it is seeing your picture along side it. Proud Canadian company Mini Me Books has gotten it just right with their creation of The Octopus Book.

There are three available options, all of which are fantastic and only get better as you put a few more dollars into it. The first, with personalized text including the name of the child and their parents, sells for $32.99. For $39.99, you can personalize the names of the characters, and upload an image of your child. Finally, for $49.99 you can personalize text and photo for your child and 2 adults. My son has the $49.99 edition of The Octopus Book and I can tell you very honestly that it’s worth every penny and you will love it as much as your child will! The quality is second to none - better, in fact, than many of the thousands of books that fill my house and classroom from bookstores and other sources. The pages are thick and shiny and the paper is certified to the environmental and social standards of the Forest Stewardship Council. The binding is sturdy and tough, and the integration of the uploaded photographs is professional and…perfect. This does not look like a homemade book. It’s one that we have read daily since it arrived and will continue to read for many years.

Sure, it’s more than you’d spend on an average book at the store…but this is no average book. If you’re able to make the investment for your child, I assure you that you won’t regret it. I highly recommend it.

Save 10% on your Mini Me Book purchase with the code TOP10.

Win it! We’re giving away a personalized Mini Me Book valued at $49.99 to one lucky TOP reader! To enter, leave a comment on this post letting us know what little person in your life would be the lucky recipient before 11:59 mst on October 10, 2008.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Helmets for people under the age of 18 are the law in my neck of the woods, but it’s not that way everywhere. Even here, the law doesn’t always supersede stupidity. It doesn’t happen often on bikes but I regularly see kids on scooters, rollerblades & Ripstiks with their craniums bare for the smashing. With my background working with the brain-injured, it makes me cringe every time. (Wanna know what makes me cringe more? Helmet wearing kids bike riding with their soon-to-be-useless-bare-headed parents. Now I’ll step off my soapbox and tell you about a great solution for the raging stupidity!)

Tail Wags helmet covers are fun new accessory that has kids excited to wear their helmets! There are over 30 animal characters to choose from. From tigers and bears to turtles and dinosaurs, children love playing dress-up with Tail Wags helmet covers whether there’s a helmet around or not! My son wears his monkey on his head around the house, on his bike helmet and his hockey helmet and this winter we’ll be bringing it to the ski slopes as well because Tail Wags fit them all - even equestrian helmets!

Designed by Canadian mom Karyn Climans and made exclusively in Canada, Tail Wags not only encourage little ones to develop the helmet habit but they also help to increase the visibility of the wearer on the slopes, roads and skating rinks. Tail Wags are made from warm high quality fleece and are designed with a slit at the back to allow the wearer to access the helmet’s goggle clip. They’re made from top quality materials, are resistant to colour fading and tearing, and are sturdy enough to be worn under all kinds of conditions.

Check out the promotional video at the Tail Wags site or on YouTube.

Tail Wags helmet covers are available online and in retail stores worldwide for $40. Wouldn’t it make a great accompaniment to that new bike & helmet or skates & helmet that you’re buying? I think so.

Save 10% on your Tail Wags helmet cover order with the code opinion.

Win it! We’re giving away an adorable & gender neutral lion helmet cover from Tail Wags to one randomly selected winner. To enter, leave a comment on this post listing your two favourite animal characters from the Tail Wags line before midnight on September 9, 2008.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

As a two time unplanned cesarean mama, I’m the queen of numb belly skin & scar tissue - the mark of a C-Mama. I know - you’re jealous of my hottness.

One of our favourite Canadian online shops, Ecobaby Canada, has post-surgical mamas like me in mind with their C-Mama Healing Salve from Earth Mama Angel Baby. The clinically tested healing salve was created with 100% natural ingredients rich in Vitamin C, essential fatty acids and amino acids — all nutrients necessary for proper cell regeneration and wound repair. Formulated especially for cesarean section and other surgical wounds, old c-section scars and stretch marks, and inflamed rashes and burns, the C-Mama Healing Salve is toxin-free, cruelty-free & certified vegan.

I’ve been using this salve on my well-worth-it-war-wounds and it’s absolutely lovely. It keeps the scar soft & supple and if I could see past the flab I’m sure I’d see it looking better too.

Ecobaby Canada was also featured on T.O.P. here and here.

Win it! EcoBaby Canada is giving one randomly selected T.O.P. reader their own C-Mama Healing Salve valued at $44.99! To enter, leave a comment on this post with your favourite product(s) available from EcoBaby that are not mentioned in this post. Contest closes on September 2, 2008.

Canadian residents can receive an additional entry for this giveaway by voting for Andrea in the SavvyMom Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Go vote (you’ll need to confirm your Canadian citizenship) and leave an extra comment letting us know you did.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & winner will be emailed asap

A child’s name is usually the first and most important word they learn to print. When Canadian teacher and parent Lee-Ann O’Neill had a preschooler she, as we all do, was continually dotting out her name for tracing purposes. As an early childhood teacher and a mother, I spend more time dotting than I can keep track of.

Lee-Ann developed a stamp for her daughter and shares it with the rest of us via The Little Stamp Company. Her self-inking “signature stamp” features a large ‘dotted’ font so that children can stamp their own name on paper, colouring pages, artwork etc. and then trace the letters of their name. She offers three custom options for you to indicate your child’s name, select the ink colour, choose whether you would prefer ALL CAPS or Lower Case. (ECS teacher recommendation: Lower Case Please!) The ink Lee-Ann uses is edible and made entirely with FDA approved ingredients. It’s water based, child safe, washable, eco-friendly and lasts for thousands of impressions. My son has probably broken a thousand now (not all on paper so I can attest to the washability!) and his signature stamp is still going strong.

At $24.95, it might be a little more than you’d normally spend on a stamp but in my opinion as both a teacher and a parent, it’s totally worth it. They’ll love the sense of accomplishment & independence and it will save you hours of dotting time.

Save 15% on your signature stamps with the code TOP15.
This code is also among friends in the TOP Shops, where we feature exclusive online shopping discounts just for you!

Win it! Your child could win their own stamp from The Little Stamp Company! One winner will be randomly selected from all comments left on this post before August 29/08.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

It’s no secret that we’re baby-wearers around here. We’ve told you about some great babywearing options in the past and will continue to do so. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to tell you about the wrap that finally converted me to a wrapper.

The CuddlyWrap™ from Canadian based family company Peapod Creations is an incredibly long piece of awesomely soft organic cotton that I first tied on when my youngest child was just a few days old. I had watched the accompanying DVD which took a lot of the fear away, but it was still slightly intimidating at first. Once I did it once, though, my little girl lived in that thing. With a tiny little newbie it was my most comfortable option. She was snug as a bug in there and was completely supported. I got many compliments on wearing my baby in a wrap and just as many questions. Most of them were either “Is it comfortable?” or “Is it hard to tie?” In a word, yes and no. My standard answer to the former question was “It feels like I’m wearing a t-shirt with a baby inside it” and that’s the truth. For a young baby I have never worn a more comfortable carrier. There was no pressure anywhere. The CuddlyWrap is designed for use from birth to 30+ lbs but it was most comfortable for me from birth to about 15 lbs. After that the fabric started to sag a bit and needed to be retied and washed a little more often. Not a big deal, but when I can easily throw on an Ergo for a larger baby I probably will do that rather than wrapping. As for the ease of tying, there’s really nothing to it once you either watch the DVD, have a seasoned pro show you the ropes or check out one of the many online wrapping tutorials.

When my own daughter was born with a mop on her head, I was pretty pumped to put girlie things in it to prevent little old men from calling her a “husky little guy.” (Yes, that happened. She was wearing pink and looks very girlie. Moron.) However, within a month she looked like her Grandfather, with hair only above her ears and some peach fuzz left on top. How depressing.

Ladybugs and Lullabies to the rescue! The huge assortment of clips designed by Canadian mom Allyson Grabish include both snap clips and alligator clips for kids with everything from peach fuzz to long thick locks. Her snap clips are the most amazing little things. With a clip that’s designed especially for Ladybugs and Lullabies, these cute little bows, bugs & more stay in, literally, one strand of hair or a patch of peach fuzz. My daughter wears one pretty much every day and we’re constantly complimented on how cute they are.

Allyson uses only top quality, non-toxic materials on her bows and clips and all ribbon ends are heat sealed - even the ones you can’t see. There are no chemicals used at all - no stiffeners, anti-fray liquids or strong adhesives. You can tell when you see them up close that they’re made with attention to detail and will last for years. When you’re done with yours, pass them on. Because every girl deserves a bow.

TOP readers save a whopping 25% off with the code TOP25. Find this code in the TOP Shops, too!

Win it! We’ve got an assorted 5-pack of clips to give away. To enter, visit Ladybugs and Lullabies and come back to comment with your favourite style(s) from the collection. Contest closes on August 21, 2008.

Additional entries available - up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

Additional entries available - up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Teach My Toddler, founded by mom Christy Cook, is a fabulous all-in-one learning system made especially for toddlers. The light blue plastic tote is divided into four sections - alphabet, numbers, shapes and colours. Each section contains a teaching chart (great for wall posters too!), a board book, a foam puzzle and a set of flash cards. The tools within each section are fully coordinated so the toddler receives a consistent message throughout. If “A is for alligator” on the chart it’s also for alligator in the book and on the flashcards. When children are in the early learning stages, this is incredibly important. You don’t want to skip from alligator to apple to airplane just yet. The pictures within the tote are all simple and clear - definitely age appropriate.

The teaching tools within each section work together to reinforce the message. Your toddler can match the puzzle pieces to the teaching chart, the book or the flash cards. Plus, while turning the pages of the board book or pointing out the pictures on the teaching charts, the toddler can pick out the corresponding flash cards. The combinations are endless.

In addition to the details, the great thing about the Teach My Toddler tote is that it works. My little guy is barely two and loves to dig into his tote. He knows all of his upper and lower case letters as well as the sounds they make and has even come up with ways to include other toys in our play with the tote. If we’re playing with numbers, for example, he’ll grab 5 legos and make a “tower of power” to match the numbers on the chart. Christy recommends about 20 minutes a day of fun, educational play with your tote, and I concur. Let your child lead, make it fun and you’ll be surprised what they can learn!

Take a look inside this awesome product here, and watch the demo video for a thorough look at the product at work. (Make sure you have flash installed…)

Not only is this a fantastic product for your own children and grandchildren at home, but it’s also fantastic for pre-schools and kindergarten classrooms. If you purchase one (they come highly recommended!) then I’d suggest donating it to a local preschool when you’re done with it. As a teacher, I can vouch for how much it will be appreciated.

Teach My Toddler is available from teach-my.com for $39.99 (ships for just $5!) and also in 28 stores across Canada.

Win it! We’ve got a Teach My Toddler tote to give away! To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon MST on August 7/08. One winner will be selected at random.

Additional entries available - up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

I have admitted here many times that I’m a snob. A blanket snob, a toy snob, a clothing snob…and yes, a butt cream snob. If it’s toxic, it’s sure as heck not getting rubbed on the nether regions my babies. I’ve tried many creams over the past few years (organic, natch) and they’ve all been satisfactory enough, but the Bottom Balm from Lalabee Baby Bathworks surpasses even my expectations. It clears up diaper rash in a flash (seriously, I’m talking an hour) and there’s nothing in it to irritate baby’s tender skin. Applying it feels like a strange cross between unsalted butter (but not greasy…is that possible?) and really thick olive oil. There’s no resistance and it makes my baby smile even when her little butt is at it’s most tender.

The entire Lalabee line is handcrafted in small batches using certified organic and natural ingredients in beautiful Kelowna, BC by mom Sara Johnson. There are no chemicals, preservatives or dyes in any of the Lalabee products and they use only edible ingredients purchased from local suppliers where possible.

All of the Lalabee containers are reusable or recyclable and the tins are food grade - no plastic to be found. Check out the rest of the baby line and the mama line too.

A portion of sales is donated to buy Heifer International Honeybees. Canadian, mom-run, organic, green, and helping the less fortunate? You’ve gotta love that.

Win it! We’ve got a tin of the fabulous bottom balm for one lucky reader! To enter, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 pm mst on August 7/08.

Additional entries available - up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Welcome to the week sans giveaways! (I know, that’s not exciting for you. For me, however, it means I don’t need to moderate 6000 comments when I have regular internet access again.)

Want to see some cute vintage cartoons from around the world? Then visit Bunny Ears!

Bunny Ears is a new Web TV station for young children aged 3+ that brings you an assortment of vintage and contemporary cartoons from all around the world.

Each cartoon is fairly short, about 5 minutes each, and are filled with simple animation and adorable stories! While there isn’t a huge selection up yet, they are planning to bring hundreds of cartoons, that are hard to find elsewhere, right to your computer screen!

Run out of Toronto, Ontario by mom Judy Blumstock, Bunny Ears is advertising free and free to watch. She founded it for her own daughter and now it’s available for everyone’s children.

While you may recognize some characters, such as Chapi and Chapo, there are many others that you and your children will quickly fall in love with!

I can’t help but to love Chapi and Chapo the most, but a close runner up is sweet little Bedtime Bear! Perfect for helping your preschooler with his or her bedtime routine!

Hop on over to Bunny Ears, cuddle up with your preschooler, and settle in for a sweet and funny story! -Gina

We’re taking the day off tomorrow to enjoy Canada Day with our families. In honour of Canada’s birthday we’re featuring a fantastic Canadian business from which you can acquire the wares of many others. Enjoy, and HAPPY CANADA DAY!

You know when you read repeatedly of a shop but don’t take the time to click through and explore? Well, I did that and feel like a moron for not knowing about Apples n’ Oranges sooner.

Owned by Ottawa moms Lara and Vicky, Apples n’ Oranges carries only Canadian brands. I am ashamed to say that I had no idea we Canucks had such amazing style. The selection is fabulous. With 33 brands to choose from, and growing, there’s no need to pay customs fees anymore. My wallet thanks you, ladies!

Apples n’ Oranges is the exclusive online retailer for my newest love, Vancouver based Peekaboo Beans - a functional and fashionable line of playwear that’s perilously close to being too nice to be playwear.

Each piece meets a “no fuss dressing” mission and is easy for children to get on and off when potty training or learning to dress themselves. Every piece mixes, matches and layers with the others and they’re more versatile than any line I’ve seen before - pants become capris, tunics become tanks and skirts become dresses to lengthen their lifespan. They’re also reversible for the inevitable spills while on the go. Made with high quality materials and super comfortable fabrics, there’s extra strength and durability built into the construction and the pieces are pre-washed. The pants feature a wide, flat waistband for comfort and all pieces use flat, seamless stitching for itch free wearing. The shirts are A-shaped and are a longer length than standard to accommodate those adorable kid-bellies. Added safety features are included, such as reflective piping, chin guards, and ironed in personal identification labels.

Peekaboo Beans is everything you want in a kids clothing line - perfect for playdate, playground and playtime…but you’ll want to make time for an impromptu photo shoot before you leave the house. This stuff is just that nice.

Save 20% on your first purchase with the code firsttop.

Win it! Apples n’ Oranges is giving away a Peekaboo Beans top AND bottom of the winner’s choice. To enter, leave a comment on this post with your choice of outfit should you be the lucky winner. (Be specific. As always, you can’t win if you’re too lazy to click through to this awesome shop. It’s bad karma.) Contest closes at noon MST on July 5/08.

Additional entries available - up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

I am pleased to announce that approximately a week and a half ago my daughter grew some hair.

Like anything, there are positives and negatives about that. The great thing is that she can wear her fabulously fantastic Bugalug barrettes in the tuft on top of her head, but the bad news is that she’s getting closer to telling me to “Just back off and get your own accessories, Mom!” I admit it - I’ve been wearing her clips from Bugalug for weeks now. But I’ve gotten a ton of compliments on them so they must not look too bad on a grown woman.

Bugalug clips are based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and are designed with an innovative non-slip grip like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s a silicone type grip - and it works! The clips stay in both my daughter’s hair and my own. The clips are also glue free and can withstand the washer and dryer and never get bumpy with glue like many do.

I was most impressed with the quality of Bugalug clips. Everyone’s next door neighbour makes clips these days, but Bugalug clips stand out from the rest as some of the finest I’ve ever seen. There are no raw ribbon edges visible and the ‘crafts-woman-ship’ is worth every penny of the…oh wait - they’re only $4!

She’s not yet old enough for headbands, though, so I don’t have to share those for a while. At their new longer length of 26″, they fit any head and are fully reversible and adjusted via plastic toggle. They’re available in tons of gorgeous ribbon selections.

Bugalug is so concerned with safety and quality that they’ve declined producing the baby clips that many of their customers are asking for (after lots of research) simply to reduce the chance of a child choking on a Bugalug clip. That’s commitment.

Save 10% at Bugalug Baby with the code TOP10.

Win it! We’ve got a gift package of 4 clips and 2 headbands to give away to a reader. To enter, visit the Bugalug Baby site and comment on this post with your favourite products. Contest closes at noon MST on May 26/08.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED

I’m a labeling freak. There are labels everywhere in my house - even the bin that holds the labels is labeled!

Lovable Labels is a Canadian mom-run company that carries a large selection of customized labels as well as some cool stuff to help a mom around the house. Goodness knows I need all the help I can get.

My kids especially love their unique fun stickies that are shaped like butterflies and dinosaurs and are available in lots more cool shapes (pictured at right). Believe it or not, they’re less likely to leave their things lying around the park when they have their own special label on them. And for those days when they do, I’ve got a better chance of getting them back eventually!

Have a child with allergies or medical issues? Check out these cool vital ID wristbands. The kids I know would be much more comfortable wearing those than a metal bracelet. And while you’re looking for things that make your kids ecstatically happy? Personalized notecards and way cool books would be fantastic gifts. Is it too early to shop for stocking stuffers? I think not.

Mention that you heard about Lovable Labels through the The Opinionated Parent during the checkout process and receive 15 FREE Red Regular Sticker Bonus Labels with your purchase. One per family. Expires May 30, 2008.

I’ve told you before about EcoBaby Canada and nothing has changed in regard to how excited I am that they exist. Naturally. In Alberta. It’s awesome!

I also directed you once before to the great selection of slings available from Ecobaby Canada and now am so excited to share with you the Child Size Hotsling! Available on the pouch sling page for just $18, your child can carry their own dolls, toys or a random selection of items from your back yard in their very own sling with the perfect fit. Kids love to copy their parents and kids also often get jealous of the attention that a young baby gets. When you’re slinging or nursing your own baby, how great would it be if your older children could simulate doing the same thing with their “babies?” This is a product that makes it easy and fun to do. Truly fabulous!

EcoBaby Canada is giving away a child size hotsling in the colour of your choice to one lucky Canuck T.O.P reader! (Please note that this one’s only open to Canadian readers.) To enter, send an email to theopinionatedparent@gmail.com before midnight MST on 1/10/08 with EcoBaby Kid Sling in the subject line and include which of the four available colours you’d choose for your prize as well as your full name and mailing address. Incomplete entries will not be eligible. Congratulations Angie!

An important note to all readers: Please remember to copy the subject line for our contests correctly as these are filtered automatically and if you make up your own title or submit a typo you may not be entered correctly.

It was almost exactly a year ago that we featured a review of T.O.P. fave Mabel’s Labels and we still love them just as much as (if not more than) we did then.

Apparently you agree because as Christmas nears we’re getting tons of emails asking about a discount code for the best labels on earth.

Dear readers, ask and you shall receive!

Save 10% at Mabel’s Labels until February 10, 2008 with the code TOP10FEB

Naturally, I get excited when I discover a Canadian business that I can recommend here at T.O.P., and I get even more excited when the business offers natural & earth loving products that are often hard to find for your average Canuck parent who is not interested in paying shipping from the US or overseas. For that reason and more, I’m excited to present EcoBaby Canada, a Lethbridge, Alberta based business run by parentrepreneur Andrea Johnson.

EcoBaby Canada’s shop carries a large assortment of earth-friendly (we love that!) products for mom, baby and the two together. A proponent of the attachment parenting philosophy, she has a great selection of slings. (If you’re not a slinging parent, you need to be - trust me!)

As a Canadian mother with winter sneaking up on me, I am absolutely loving the Australian made Huggalugs available in her accessories shop. The adorable cool and not at all cutesie skull pattern seen below comes in pink and black, and I also love the ‘Cool Spirit’ pattern (at right) for a more funky look. They’re great on both arms and legs on kids of any age and are only $13. I tried them on myself and they could easily be worn as mid-calf length leg warmers by teens & adults as well. With 1 washing, they returned to their original size and fit my little guy.

Shipping information is available here and she allows for free pick-up of local orders.

Win a pair of Huggalugs of your choice from EcoBaby Canada! Just look around the site and then email theopinionatedparent@gmail.com with EcoBaby Canada in the subject line and send us the url and name of your favourite product. Just choose one - I know it’s hard but you can do it! Contest closes at midnight MST on 11/12/07. Congratulations Angela & Connor!