An amazing survivor and dedicated mom, Kim left the corporate world to pursue a dream of offering beautiful toys that inspire imaginative exploration. Follow her on twitter @RosieHippo or fan Rosie Hippo on facebook, where Kim shares many of her creative ideas for eco-friendly discovery and play.

Rosie Hippo selections top our Easter Basket goody list with toys by HABA, Maple Landmark, Kathe Kruse, and  dozens of exclusive items.

We are delighted to share a discount for this boutique offering Eco-Friendly Wooden European and Made in the USA Toys, Organic Bedding, Nursery Art, and more. Use Rosie Hippo Discount Code MAMA10 for 10% off until end of April 2010.

While he plays happily with Thomas the Tank Engine and friends, I have the opportunity to discover some high-quality toys unavailable at the big box stores. And I can count on the friendly store owner to provide expert advice on the best gifts for the kids on my holiday list (and free gift wrapping on my purchases).

Another helpful source of shopping advice is the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) 2009 Best Toys for Kids Award Winners. Over 500 of America’s top independent and neighborhood toy retailers selected the Best Toys for Kids based on their experience and understanding of what kids like. The winners are:

• Infant Play (0 – 12 months):  Sophie Giraffe by Calisson Inc and Natural Skwish by Manhattan
• Toddler Play (1 – 3 years):  Twilight Ladybug by Cloud B and Wee Wedgits by ImagAbility
• Pretend Play – Role Play: Tea Set from Recycled Milk jugs by Green Toys and Shopping Cart by Melissa & Doug
• Pretend Play – Fantasy Play: Reversible Knight/Dragon Cape and Reversible Knight/Dragon Hood by Creative Education of Canada and  Egyptian Pyramid by Playmobil
• Constructive Play: Automoblox Vehicles by Manhattan Toy and Magformers Multicolored 30pc Magnetic Building Set
• Creative Arts Play:  Create Your Own Pop-up Books by Creativity for Kids and Sticky Mosaic Twinkle Tiaras by The Orb Factory
• Scientific Play: Snap Circuits Green by Elenco and Power House Green by Thames & Kosmos
• Active Play: Ezy Roller by Ezy Roller and Original Djubi by PAV/Moonracer
• Game Play (3 – 7 years): Chickyboom by Blue Orange
• Game Play (8+ years): Bananagrams by Bananagrams
• Just For Fun: Mini collectable Eraser by BC Office
• Classic Play (Older): Doinkit Darts by Marky Sparky
• Classic Play (Younger): Magnatiles by Valtech

Many of my favorite toys are on this list. As an infant, my son loved his Skwish and Sophie the Giraffe teether, and he falls asleep nightly to the soft glow of his Twilight Turtle. And Bananagrams is my favorite travel game.  Since the ASTRA picks seemed so high quality, I was inspired to try the Wee Wedgits by ImagAbility.

My toddler has spent hours playing with these soft blocks. He can stack them, chew on them, play with them in the bath, throw them and even wear them as bracelets. Wee Wedgits have smooth, rounded edges and are made from non-toxic, phthalate free poly-vinyl material. Children (and even adults) will enjoy building amazing geometric designs as well as simple stacking pyramids.

Thanks to ASTRA and the folks at ImagAbility, we have a set of Wee Wedgits available to giveaway on Mamanista.

WANT IT:  Buy Wee Wedgits at your local ASTRA store. Click here to find a store near you.

WIN IT: ImagAbility is giving away one Wee Wedgits (30 piece set) to a  Mamanista reader to spread the word about the ASTRA Best Toys for Kids List.

• Required Entry: Please visit ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids page and leave us a comment on this post telling us the name of your local ASTRA toy store. (There’s a store finder map on the page.)
• Additional Entries (up to three): You can receive up to three additional entries by linking to and/or sharing our Hottest Holiday Toys Guide (see rules at the bottom of the guide) and leaving separate comments on this post for each mode of entry.

Contest on Mamanista.com ends December 3, 11:59 PM EST. Open to U.S. Shipping Only.

Babies R Us coupons are always popular with our readers…so here you go!

$5 Discount on $25 with Babies R Us Promotion-Expires 5/02 – Click Here for the Babies R Us Coupon Code

From now until November 15, 2008, use these Back to Basics discount coupon codes to save–finish your Holiday shopping early!

• Click to Get 12% Off All Purchases – Use Promo Code: EDISC82
• Click to Save 50% Off Ground Shipping – Use Promo Code: EDISC81
  

Oompa Toys is offering a promotional discount of $5 off on orders over $40 with coupon code “BTS2008” (ends August 31st).

This Canadian-based store only stocks eco-friendly and child-safe wooden and cloth toys, organic clothing, and sustainable items, most of which are made in Canada, the USA, or Europe.

My tot checked out a few of Natural Pod’s toddler toys and pre-schooler favorites.

She’s carrying around the Poot & Boogie Doll from their Natural and Organic Dolls section. Poot & Boogie dolls are handcrafted and natural–even the fiberfill is an eco-friendly corn-based material. And just like my little girl, these dolls are funky originals. If your child has moved on from baby dolls but you are looking for a cloth companion, these adorable dolls make perfect smiling confidants for an older toddler or pre-schooler.

My little future architect enjoys building with the All-in-One House, a stacking toy. Younger toddlers, like mine, can stack the blocks. Pre-schoolers can play house…actually, my daughter tried to “sit” in the mini chair, which should give you an idea of how sturdy these wooden blocks are. All the pieces fit back together, creating a challenging puzzle for school-aged children. Natural Pod specializes in imaginative toys that grow with your children.

And if she takes after her great-grandfather, she’ll need lots of musical toys, like the Auris Xylophone. This hand-sized xylophone produces magical, earthy notes. The entire family enjoys experimenting with its sounds.

We also have a soft Organic Nature-Inspired Ball from the natural baby toys for her future little brother. A soft ball can be used to tap rhythms on baby’s tummy, introduce textures, and play hand-eye coordination games. Later on the ball is perfect for indoor throwing and catching. I love that this ball is not only safe for the youngest baby, but also has a beautiful and calming nature-inspired design.

I enjoy regularly browsing Natural Pod. Because many of the toys are handcrafted, the stock changes regularly. These safe and earth-friendly toys are made to last–and you’ll want to pass them down to each new generation!

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WANT IT: Shop at Natural Pod and enjoy 10% OFF with coupon code MAMANISTA10 (ends June 14).

Reminder: Natural Pod is sponsoring a contest on Mamanista (ends May 28). Click HERE to enter.

And how can you not adore a store that has a section entitle Fairies & Gnomes?

Natural Pod has charming wooden appliances, cookware, and food for house play; sweet organic waldorf-style dolls; magical silks, stands and accessories to inspire imaginative play; and every type of push, pull, and stack, baby toy or toddler toy a child could ever need.

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WIN IT: Natural Pod is offering one luck Mamanista reader a $100 gift certificate. Natural Pod offers Canadian and US shipping only. To enter, visit Natural Pod and leave us a comment by 11:59, May 28th, letting us know some of the items you’d get on your shopping spree at Natural Pod.

WANT IT: Shop at Natural Pod and enjoy 10% OFF with coupon code MAMANISTA10 (ends June 14).

eBeanstalk highlights toys chosen by experts and tested by moms from across the United States. So, whether you are looking for your own child or finding a gift for a friend’s child or a relative, you’ll know you’re getting Mom’s Favorites.

With a typical toy store, you may be able to choose by a broad age range. Then, the toy arrives at your house, and your child plays with the box. Look, you encourage, at this neat new toy, but your child is not impressed.

With eBeanstalk, on the other hand, you have a fully guided experience start to finish.

You can browse age-appropriate toys by three month intervals–because a 15 month old is not the same, developmentally, as an 18 month old. And you can also search based on developmental areas, such as dexterity, imagination, or social or emotional growth.

For example, when browsing Expert Picked Educational Toys at ebeanstalk.com you can quickly locate Language Development Toys. You can even focus on specific skills, such as toys for learning the ABC’s.

Once your toy arrives, you’ll welcome the suggestions on the eBeanstalk Instruction Card: tips for how parent and child can enjoy the toy together.

eBeanstalk also helps you pick out the perfect gift for any child. If you’re wondering what to bring to the baby shower, check out the Hand Picked Baby Shower Gifts by the ebeanstalk.com Team of Moms!

For a truly memorable gift, pick up one of eBeanstalk’s unique gift series: four developmental and learning toys delivered over a 12 month period, each matched to the appropriate stage of a child’s development.

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WANT IT: Click HERE to visit eBeanstalk and browse their wonderful selection of developmental toys for all ages.

Receive 10% off all orders with Coupon Code: MAMANISTA (ongoing)

Or, receive $10 off all orders of $50 or more with Coupon Code: SPRING$10 (ends 04/30/2008)

We’ve raved before about Warm Biscuit and their custom sewn retro and vintage children’s fabrics and personalized nursery decor.

Warmbiscuit.com, founded by a mom in 1998, specializes in vintage inspired children’s bedding, custom furniture and personalized baby gifts.

They have a new selection of children’s wallpaper and a Japanese-themed girls’ room design that would be a perfect spring make over for your little one’s room.

I also adore the sweetly sophisticated style of prints and the old-fashioned imagination-inspiring toys you find at Warm Biscuit.

They are also featuring plenty of gifts for mom, like this engraved necklace, just in time for Mother’s Day.

Each item at Warm Biscuit transports me to a simpler, more playful era. Just like biscuits fresh from the oven.

WANT IT: Visit Warm Biscuit and use coupon code wbmamanista15 for 15% off (ends 6/1/08)

WIN IT: Warm Biscuit is offering one lucky reader a $50 Gift Certificate to their fabulous store. Please note that Warm Biscuit ships within the US. To enter to win:

1. Click HERE to visit Warm Biscuit
2. Comment on this post by 11:59, April 25, with your favorite item from Warm Biscuit.

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Don’t forget to enter our other contests:

• Alter-Eco Fair Trade Foods (ends April 21)
  
• SIGG Eco-Chic Water Bottle (ends April 22)
• Nursing Cover for the New Mamas from Love & Blessings (ends April 30)
• Mother’s Day Gift Guide SIGG contest for bloggers (ends May 2)

Find more contests at The Bloggy Giveaways Carnival.