Palumba Review

If you can't tell, I love unique toys. Last year I was so caught up in buying Tinker Bell junk that I forgot what I had vowed to never do. It was an easy mistake, especially since Tinker Bell was the first character Ella took an interest to. Then, I walked into a small family owned toy store and was surrounded by true toys. It made me stop and think about how I got sucked into the licensed character black hole and I re-vowed to never let that happen again. After seeing all the amazing wooden toys, I went back to my roots. I was just introduced to Palumba and sooo wish I had holiday money to spend because they have some truly unique down to earth toys plus more!

Palumba, or PA-lum-BA, loosely translated as wooden dove, sells amazing non-toxic all natural toys. The items they sell, "enable children to use their imagination and take flight, to soar like a dove- to find peace!" 80% of their toys are made in the US, while the others are bought through Fair Trade Co-ops. They carry baby items, dolls and puppets, house play, imagination play, clothes for babies-adults, books, music, arts and crafts, house and home and more!

Palumba sent me 2 great toys to review and Ella has had a blast playing with them. My favorite is The Slow Race puzzle and book.The puzzle is simple, yet tons of fun. The book tells a story about a race between a snail and a turtle. As you are reading, you arrange the blocks in shapes like the characters. They work better when you lay them flat on the table unless you have a skilled balancer. Ella tried with several of them, but they kept falling so she laid them flat. The goal is for your child to be able to create their own shapes and designs.

On Palumba they had a great idea and said you can have your child trace the blocks with their new shapes and write their own story. That sounds like such fun!! The blocks are made with cherry wood and the book is made with recycled paper that is printed with soy ink. You can get The Slow Race at Palumba for only $14.99!

Palumba also sent Ella a Pita Sandwich. The Pita Sandwich is hand knit from handspun and hand dyed wool yarn. The pita is stuffed with an avocado, onion, tomato, and lettuce. Ella has never eaten a pita before, so she didn't know what it was. But she has enjoyed stuffing it. She also likes to "fry" the food in her frying pan and then serve me "lunch." Palumba also carries fruits, veggies, snacks and other fun play foods that are sure to spark your child's imagination. You can get the Pita Sandwich for only $12.99!

You can get 5% off your order at Palumba by entering winter2009 at the checkout!! Plus, if you sign up for their catalog or register to their site, you will be automatically entered to win Camden's Kitchen- a $250 value!!Happy Shopping!