With the
toy catalogs piling up on my kitchen table, most of the talk in my home is around new playthings these days. I buy toys, both for my kids and as gifts, from a variety of different places, but started thinking about where people shop. So tell me, where do you buy most of your toys?
My husband is a big kid — he can't resist climbing on the playground structures with our son and daughter or hold back when he takes them to the toy store. More often than not, a trip for one small trinket becomes an all out shopping spree. He buys the toys he longed for when he was little now that he's an adult under the guise that they are for our offspring.
Toys buy moms and dads time. From the cardboard boxes our children turn into forts to the train sets that occupy them for hours, some playful inventions deserve recognition. The National Toy Hall of Fame recently inducted some more playthings to sit alongside past honorees.
I already love Planet Dog's cute, yet sturdy toys for my
crazy chomper, North – they're definitely worth the investment because they hold up so well in jaws of steel.
I especially enjoy the minty scent (
doggie breath beware) so how cute is their latest creation?! Added to their traditional holiday lineup (of Christmas
bulbs and
snowballs), is a mint-flavored
peppermint candy ($11)!
Remember those political toys of
"Bark Obama" and "John McCanine"? Well, before I voted, I decided to let North cast his ballot at home. Watch this video and tell me which toy he preferred.
We've already seen our share of "Chewy Vuitton," "Chewnel," and "Kate Spayed" doggie accessories, so it's only natural that our fashion forward pets get tech savvy and sink their teeth into some gadgets. Take this iPhone knockoff,
the iBone for example. Although it doesn't make calls, give directions, check email, or even tell you the temperature outside, it sure does feel good on Fido's teeth!
I know, I know. Not all
cats like toys. Friends with finicky felines have told me that the material of a toy makes all the difference so I've scoped out these adoro birdy designs with three different textures .
The name says it all, but that's kinda what scares me! With an embedded rope toy for fetch and tug,
Shooey Chewie ($16) looks suspiciously like the sole of my galoshes. Although North hates shoes, some people (
like LC) have pups that enjoy eating footwear.
While visiting the awesome
Heathy Spot pet shop in Santa Monica, I spotted these super cute
Rope Toys ($14) from
Jax & Bones that I knew North would love to sink his chompers into. Made from 100 percent natural dyed cotton thread, you can be sure that these toys are not only good for hours of chewing fun, but are good for your pooch and the earth. Not only that, but for each toy purchased from Jax & Bones, part of the proceeds will be donated to the
Rescue Train Organization, which helps find homes for pets and operates a no-kill rescue program.
When I
spotted this tip, I wondered why I didn't think of it myself! I know North's sweet plush toy collection can easily become a not-so-sweet breeding ground for all sorts of ickiness, just like your household sponge. I guess the yumyums stuck in your pet's teeth combined with floor dirt and slobber can create quite the coating!Just like
people pop sponges into the microwave to kill bacteria, yeast, mold and more, you can actually do the same thing with your pup's favorite rope toy!
