Learn-to-Dress Monkey

We love this Learn-to-Dress Monkey by Alex Toys.

I first saw it at the Komodo showroom, but held back from buying as I had already bought a big stash. When I went back around Christmas, I saw it again and I just had to get it. So I did.

The monkey was our Christmas gift for Zoë.

She and Monkey are best buddies now. Monkey is a 22" plush toy (no batteries to replace, no annoying noises!) that features 11 different dressing activities that your toddler can learn --buttoning, zipping up and down, putting on socks and shoes, tying shoelaces, working with snaps, etc. It's a great toy to help develop fine motor skills.

Zoë would take off all the clothes, socks, and shoes and then try to put them all back on Monkey again. She'd even put the socks on her own feet! What's also great is that Monkey has become her "doll." She plays Doctor with him, she sings a lullaby for Monkey to help him go to sleep... I'm sure she'll discover princesses and Barbies soon enough, but for now, I'm quite happy that Monkey is it.
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The Alex Learn-to-Dress Monkey retails for HK$259.90 and is available at Wing On or Apita.

Moby Wrap

We used the Baby Bjorn with Josh. It was good except that when Josh started getting heavier, my shoulders and back would feel sore after wearing him for even just half an hour. With Zoë, I got the Moby Wrap after attending a baby-wearing workshop that was run by Nappypooh (before S left HK for good).

I loved the Moby for its soft, stretchy fabric. I love that it is just a piece of cloth, no pins, no rings, nothing hard that might dig into the baby's soft flesh. I loved how the wrap kept Zoë snug and secure against me. I loved that my shoulders and back didn't hurt. I loved its versatility --that I could do the Hug Hold (my favorite one), the Kangaroo Hold, the Lotus Hold (with baby facing out). There are also the Hip Hold, and the Hike Hold (never had the guts to try this one, though). You can even use the wrap to hold twins!

It takes getting used to. It takes practice. I had to read the instructions over and over and practice quite a few times before I dared to wear Zoë in it.

My only complaint is that because it's such a LONG piece of fabric, it can be a bit of a hassle getting it on outside the house. At home, I'd simply lay the ends of the wrap either on the bed or on the couch, so that they would not touch the floor when I am "fixing" to wear Zoë. When out, sometimes you can't help but have the ends brush up against the floor. Like I said, it takes practice to do it expertly, knowing how to hold the folds so that the ends won't drag, etc.

But, but, but! Once on, I LOVE it and I love the feel of Zoë snug against me. Did I mention that I love its color, too? I got one exactly like the one featured on the photo --the turquoise one with the UV protection. People I met always noted the striking color and how comfy and snug Zoë looked in it.

I just checked out their website again and noticed that they now have new lines available (Moby D, Moby Select). They even have other products now - Moby Mini (Cute, but I don't think I'll spend US$14.95 just so that Zoë can 'wear' her dolls in a Moby Mini, though); swaddle blankets, Baby Legs, and a few other items that I didn't think I saw when I ordered my Moby Wrap two years ago. Lucky for Chris; I might have been tempted to get the other stuff, too!

Big Kid's SleepSack

When Josh was little, we used cotton Halo SleepSacks. I loved them so much that I was kinda sad when he outgrew them. They're basically a wearable blanket that's oh-so-soft. (At one point, the thought crossed my mind that maybe I should get one for myself --if only they carried them in adult sizes!)

After the Halo SleepSack and before we discovered the Big Kid's SleepSack, we were constantly checking up on Josh to make sure that his blanket stays on. Josh (and Zoe, too!) is forever kicking off his blanket. We used to tuck the ends of the blanket under the mattress so that it would be difficult for him to squirm out from under, but no dice. Then, when I was recommending the Halo SleepSack to a friend and I wanted to send her a link to the website, I saw that that they came out with the Big Kid's SleepSack! I just had to get one.

What's different about the Big Kid's SleepSack is that your kid's feet are actually out. This is great for the older kids because they can still walk about without tripping (e.g. if they need to go to the bath room in the middle of the night). I got the 4T-5T for Josh and in the photo above (taken when he was 3yo), the SleepSack was a bit big for him still, but he could wear it with no problem. There are (how can I accurately describe them?) "bands" around the ankles -sort of like in some track pants, -- that keep the material from sliding past the ankles.

I wish some stores would carry the Halo line here. With Halo SleepSack, I had to get my sister-in-law to buy them from a specialty store in Toronto. With the Big Kid's SleepSack, I ordered from Amazon.com. It's actually much cheaper to order from Amazon.com than to order from the Halo website.

If you know of anybody who "makes" or sells something similar to the Big Kid's SleepSack here in Hong Kong, do let me know. I'd love to get a couple more.