Jen comes to us today from Tiny Oranges!  This is a favorite local OC blog find of mine.  Jen is as busy as they come, yet always up for sharing a tip or trick.    Jen has been a great source to me over the past year with fun local activities, products and tips, and great outings to take Addie on.  She is a Favorite OC Blog Friend and I most definitely encourage you to check out Tiny Oranges!!

Meet Jen of Tiny Oranges (and her DARLING family!)

1. Favorite Wrapping tip –Erin Condren gift labels for all my gifts.  Super cute and simpler than buying cards.  Everyone loves them!
2. Favorite Recent book – “The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan” Really touching memoir about a young mother’s journey through breast cancer and beyond.
3. Favorite Costco pick – Kirkland baby wipes.  The best!
4. Favorite Soda – Coke Zero!
5. Favorite Beach – Crystal Cove by the historic Crystal Cove Beach Cottages:

Guest Post:  Our MOST used baby toy:
Fisher Price Amazing Animals “Sing and Go Choo-Choo”

It can sometimes be frustrating to look around at the number of toys in our house and realize many of them don’t get that much play time!  When we get a new toy, there is about a day or so of interest, and then she is on to other things. I really don’t buy her many toys for that very reason.   That’s why this one particular toy has impressed me so much. I can safely say, in 3 years and 7 months, it has been our MOST USED toy!

My in-laws got my oldest daughter the Fisher Price Animal Train for her first Christmas when she was 6 months old.   It has two train compartments that interlock, 3 chunky little animal passengers and fun sound effects.  You can set it to and move across the room on it’s own or you can switch it to just sing and stay in place.

Now 3 ½ years later, she still plays with it! She loves to put her lovies in the back of the train and push them around.  Just the other day my new 6 month old baby was spinning the leaves on the side and pushing the horn.   When I saw that, I thought how amazing it was that it can entertain both a baby of 6 months to over 3 +years! Not many toys can do that!  It is a great birthday gift idea, especially for one-year-old birthdays, which I sometimes struggle with.  Plus, it is a totally unisex toy!

So, if you invest in the animal train, I guarantee it will be money well spent.

Only downside:  the animal train ditty that will forever be burned in your brain.  It’s that catchy.