by Guest Collaborator
When creating my sons' nursery, I knew that I wanted the room to epitomize three things: curiosity, tranquility, and joy. So, I thought to myself, what is the ONE thing I want to utilize through his childhood that can produce such feelings? The answer: books.
Continue Reading
by Brittany Ryan Mathiowetz
This Friday, March 1 is the National Day of Unplugging. So join me in turning your phone off, hiding the iPad from the kiddos, and instead of watching a movie for family fun night, enjoy a board game, charades, or a new book with your popcorn.
Continue Reading
by Guest Collaborator
In the spirit of introducing impactful changes into our families with minimum effort to positively effect the environment, we are ditching disposable plastic straws and opting for reusable stainless steel instead! It's a super easy practice to adopt, with great impact on the environment!
Continue Reading
by Kathleen Smith
Wow, 2018 was a remarkable year for Smiling Tree Toys and the Smith Family too! Join us as we take a look back on our top moments from 2018.
Continue Reading
by Brittany Ryan Mathiowetz
With Christmas behind us, it's time to turn our focus on our goals for the New Year. Our New Year's Resolution is to make our home greener in 2019. One way we are achieving that is with the help of a MightyFix subscription, which is a monthly service that sends us a green product we can easily implement in our home.
Continue Reading
by Brittany Ryan Mathiowetz
We get it. Christmas shopping can be fun, exciting, and...stressful. But here at Smiling Tree Toys, we mean it when we say we have something for *everyone* on your list, making your holiday shopping a breeze! From newborns who don't need much beyond milk and snuggles, to grandparents who already have everything, we've got you covered. Our keepsake toys and gifts are handmade in our family's woodshop on the Minnesota prairie, so you know you're not only getting beautifully crafted heirlooms, but you're supporting a small family business, too. Read on for our holiday gift suggestions, from our home to yours!
Continue Reading
by Kathleen Smith
When you shop small and support Smiling Tree, a lot of good things happen! Discover the WHO and WHAT your purchase supports, and join us in creating a community of compassionate caregivers who believe that simple, well made toys are timeless treasures for priceless childhood memories.
Continue Reading
by Guest Collaborator
At Smiling Tree Toys, we love discovering brands with values that match ours. That's why we are so excited to partner with The Book of Everyone this week!
Continue Reading
by Brittany Ryan Mathiowetz
One of my favorite things as a mother is to look back on how my babies changed their first year of life. For my youngest child, I used Smiling Tree Toy's Photography Prop Age Blocks to take photos each month and I absolutely love them!
Continue Reading
by Guest Collaborator
Do you remember playing with toys as a child? Do you remember telling stories with the toys? Stories without toys are still incredible, but toys add a bit more. Here's why your child's stories will blossom and evolve when adding toys!
Continue Reading
by Guest Collaborator
It was after a very long winter and losing a close loved one that I started sorting out what is really important to me. My thought process included, “What do I value?” and “What do I want to teach my daughter?” I was in a constant hurry and was sick of dreading yes or no decisions. It was at this point in my life I found minimalism and became a Minimalist Mom.
Continue Reading
by Guest Collaborator
When we as parents take a moment to stop and ask ourselves why we're dragging our kids from one activity to the next, we are often surprised by the answer. In slowing down we are able to really enjoy the magic in simple everyday moments with our children.
Continue Reading
