{DEALS & STEALS} Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon

Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North "Poll!" You'll get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!

xx Well-to-Do

*$25 coupon is good for $25 off any purchase of $25.01 or more at MelissaAndDoug.com through 12/31/11. Coupon cannot be applied to shipping charges or sales tax. This coupon is specifically for you and can be used only once. It is not redeemable or valid with any other promo code.

{GIVEAWAY} *ZULILY* KNOWS BEST

Double stroller? Check. Oversized Sea Bag filled with cups and snacks? Check. Extra diaper and clothes should Georgiana have a blowout from unusual breakfast combo? Check. And what about a few toys just in case of check-out line meltdown? Check.

Just a sampling of Suz's mental checklist when she takes her kids out shopping. She never knows when crisis mode might hit so you can imagine her relief when a friend told her about zulily, an online shopping mecca featuring high-quality clothing, gear and toys — up to 90% off — for babies, toddlers, big kids, and moms.

We're talking a fabulous combination of top brands and amazing deals on a daily basis. Here's a sampling below...

Little Mass — over 50% off

BBs Tees — up to 45% off

Absorba — up to 55% off

Rockabye — up to 45% off



PregO Maternity Wear — up to 50% off 



What's not to love about zulily, right? Take note: only members can take advantage of zulily's low prices. Membership is free and signing up is fast and easy. Once you're a member, you'll be the first to know what zulily has to offer with a daily email {which makes Suz's heart skip a beat every morning}. After all, zulily knows best.

Not only is zulily fabulous, but zulily is also generous! They're offering a $25 credit to one lucky Well to Doer this week — yeah!!!

For entry {please do all three things}:

1) Fan Well to Do on Facebook

2) Fan Zulily on Facebook

3) Comment below {here on the blog} and tell us your little one's favorite outfit, fun or crazy. If your little one still cannot dress him or herself then tell us yours.

Contest is open now through Sunday, May 8th, 2011 @ midnight.  A random winner will be announced on Monday, May 9th.

While you wait to find out whether or not you've won, go here and sign up for your own account.  Don't miss out on the fabulousness that is zulily!!!

Happy shopping; happy saving!
xx Well to Do {and zulily, too!}

P.S.  For the record, Suz would like you to know that her kids are actually quite well-behaved.  They just seem to have issues with the check-out line.

CHEW ON THIS

Crackers. Car keys. Sunglasses. Scotch. When Baby’s cutting a tooth you reach for whatever’s nearby. So long as it soothes the pain and restores the peace. And keeps everyone dry. Next time the gums swell and Baby shouts, save the contents of your bag from the saliva bath. Dress Me Up’s Teething Bonbon is safer, cleaner, cuter, greener and just as convenient. See for yourself!

Organic Teething Bonbon, $15.95 

Filled with antibacterial lamb's wool from a farm on the coast of Western Canada, these handcrafted organic teethers {made from certified organic cotton grown in the U.S.A.} are stitched in your choice of cherry, mint or caramel, then stuffed and knotted. Made by mammas for mammas. 

Designer Tressa Brotsky suggests soaking the knots in cooled boiled water {leaving the center dry}, then placing in the freezer until needed. Baby can hold the middle {which stays warm} and chew + chomp on the frozen ends. When it gets dirty, throw it in the washing machine and wash + dry. 


Wait, there's more. Dress Me Up also offers organic bibs, burp cloths, blankets, balls, blocks and rattles for when Baby is drooling, hungry or playful. 

Organic Leaf Bib, $17.95 

Organic Receiving Blanket, $24.95

Organic Cloth Balls, $24.95

Organic JUMBO Cloth Block, $28.95

Organic Rabbit Rattle, $32.95

We think Baby needs one of each! Find Dress Me Up's organic teethers and treasures online as well as on Etsy. 


Does your Baby deserve an organic teething treat? Well, Dress Me Up has something special to offer you! Tressa generously donated this Teething Babe Gift Set {$32 value} for the well-to-do holiday giveaway!

Tell us the name or age of the teething baby in your life here or on Facebook and fan Dress Me Up. Gain extra entries for blogging, tweeting, posting on Facebook or sharing the link with friends {just don't forget to tell us}! The contest is open now through midnight {Friday, November 19th}. One lucky, random winner will be selected tomorrow morning {Saturday, November 20th}.

May the drama of a teething baby be the worst of your parental emergencies. As for said drama, better to be prepared than panicked: buy Baby a bonbon!


xx well-to-do


Images courtesy of Dress Me Up

BACK TO BASICS

Finding yourself a bit nostalgic for the simpler toys of yester-year? Things that don’t require an advanced degree, media savvy, or six AAA batteries? Then a summer afternoon is the place for you! The husband-wife team, Erin and Aaron, creates a carefully curated collection of wooden toys, teethers and games that are sustainable, safe and ultra-durable. 


For newborns, toddlers and youth — hand-painted wood cars and trucks, first blocks, train sets and craft accessories. Who needs PLASTIC for that kind of play?

Baby's Oak Stacking Blocks, $20

Organic Oak Building Block Set, $40

Organic Wooden Train, $40

You’ll find lots of simple designs — no neon or flashing lights nor plastic in sight...

Natural Wooden Scooter Toy, $9

Natural Wooden Truck and Trailer, $20

Natural Wooden Family Car, $16

Perhaps a ferris wheel for your budding engineer?

Natural Wooden Ferris Wheel, $60

Or crayon holders for your 'lil Picasso... 

Whale Crayon Holder, $10

Redwood Crayon Boat, $9

... and teethers for that tired, troubled baby.

Natural Walnut Teething Ring, $11

Natural Maple Teething Ring, $11

Organic Walnut Christmas Tree Teether, $12

A summer afternoon is a one-stop shop for timeless, tasteful toys. Don’t worry. They’re also really fun to play with! And for one lucky, random winner, a summer afternoon has offered a flatbread truck for the well-to-do holiday giveaway!

"Like" our status on Facebook PLUS become a fan of a summer afternoon, and you'll be entered to win the random drawing. Contest is open now through midnight {Thursday, November 18th}.

Get back to basics with a summer afternoon: relief from the beeping plastic playthings that take up far too much physical space. And thereby tax your mental space!

xx well-to-do

Images courtesy of a summer afternoon

TOY STORY

Keeping Suz's son's remote control Sand Stormer (truck) and battery-powered gadgets in working order is sucking her expense account at Fairmount Hardware dry. At the rate she goes through AAs, she could have a controlling stake in Energizer. Keeping Sarah's husband away from video gaming post-work is practically a part-time job. At the rate she tunes into Rock Band, she could be the next American Idol.

Imagine our relief when we heard all we needed was a recycling bin and a few household items to keep our "kids" (back-to-school or not) creative, crafty, and clever. In her book Make These Toys: 101 Clever Creations Using Everyday Items, Heather Swain offers dozens of simple how-tos for making magic out of household materials, including rubber-band shoe-box guitars, milk carton sailboats, and puppets that roll on thread spoons.

Says Swain, Make These Toys is "perfect for parents and teachers. These projects enable families to spend less while keeping entertained. Because fun doesn't always have to come in a box-sometimes, it's the box itself."

Other reasons to love Make These Toys:
1) Making toys saves money
2) Making toys conserves resources
3) Making toys means fewer toxins in your home
4) Making toys is entertaining
5) Making toys makes kids happy = what playing is all about

Brilliantly simple and fun. $13.95... and no batteries required.

xx S+S

Today's give-a-way has been moved to next Friday due to reorganization!

Photo: amazon.com
Sources: amazon.com, heatherswain.com