Rose & Rex is a marketplace for educational, well-designed toys and games for kids. Their toys promote imaginative play, and I think there are so many great items to spoil your kids…and to give them a break from virtual classrooms.
Toys
I love stylish toys like these Blockitecture block that are great for kids…or adults!
Blockitecture Tower, $45 USD, Areaware
I’m thrilled to welcome back Daniela to the blog. She’s at White Cabana with a 4-part gift guide series. Her first guide was all about babies and toddlers. Now, she’s back with plenty of great gift ideas for tweens and teens.
***
I always find tweens/teens a difficult age to buy for as these kids come into their own and develop their own taste/style and hobbies. However, this year, I am seeing some great go-to gifts to make that child/tween on your list smile.
Here is a selection of my favorite finds.
New shoes! The tried and true converse from even my childhood still remain a fan favorite and are great for all ages & come at a great price point.
Converse, $39.99 CAD, Sporting Life
Have you been seeing a lot of Unicorn items lately? Well you are not alone. Almost all retailers are incorporating some type of “unicorn” item into their shops. On that note, who doesn’t love a new pair of slippers? Check out this great cozy pair from Justice — a favorite store for children aged 8-12.
unicorn slippers, $19.90 CAD, Justice
If budget isn’t a concern, this hot “tech” items for the tweens in your life is all the rage. This year, it comes in an awesome white with orange accent.
Nintendo, $199.99 CAD, Best Buy
The all-natural ingredients of the Rocky Mountain Soap products make them great for all ages, but with this seasonal candy cane scent, it’s an extra win. Plus, who doesn’t love a bath bomb? This is sure to be a hit with the children in your life.
vanilla candy cane gift set, $40.95, Rocky Mountain Soap Company
Here’s a fun gift for the person you have no idea what to buy/ This is the mini version, and it’s great for a desk/work station at home or to put outside a bedroom door.
mini cinema lightbox, $29.50 CAD, Indigo
Roots! Who doesn’t love a roots hoodie? This makes the perfect cozy gift for someone on your list.
hoodie, $39.99 CAD (on sale), Roots
hoodie, $48 CAD, Roots
Lego is a gift that never gets old. This special collection of Lego friends lets you build a village one box at a time. Here is a great addition this year with a winter feel.
Lego snow resort ice rink, $39.99 CAD, Indigo
For the Star Wars enthusiast in your life…this may become the hot seller this season.
Star Wars playset, $179.99 CAD, Amazon
And pjs! These should be on all your lists for every age. They’re always a welcome gift. Masala Baby is a NYC-based company, and these organic pjs will please whoever is on the receiving end.
organic pajamas, $44, Masala Baby
Happy shopping!
– Daniela
***
Thanks for sharing another awesome list of ideas, Daniela. I know my nephews and niece can’t get enough of Lego, so it’s one of my go-to gifts, too!
Today’s #WhiteCabanaWearsPink theme is all about the superhero!
flying superhero costume, Etsy
Wonder Woman postcard, Etsy
superhero printable download, Etsy
Princess Power Super Sparkle Barbie
***
Every Monday in the month of October, pink will be taking over White Cabana. This month, #WhiteCabanaWearsPink to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. Read more about #WhiteCabanaWearsPink.
It’s my oldest nephew’s 6th birthday today! He’s super sweet and smart, and he is very much into books, batman, and lego. Happy birthday, Duke!
Could you imagine a kids playroom with only white toys? It would probably never be possible, would it? But just look how beautifully designed these toys are…
moonlight doll, $73.50 (on sale)
Villa Cartabianca dollhouse, $17.34
sailing ship kite, $60, Serena & Lily
elephant bookend, $40 (on sale), Serena & Lily
winter white outfits for dolls, $45, Chapters Indigo
plui rain cloud water toy, Moluk
Schoenhut white toy piano, $149.99 (on sale), Toys R Us
hoberman sphere, $50, Shapeways
After seeing the Oogi by Moluk on Swiss Miss, I ordered 4Â for my nephews and niece. They are loving them.
Oogi, $11.99, Amazon
Last year, my nephews each received a Moluk Bilibo from Santa last year and they continue to make good use of them. Moluk has been getting things right for these kids!
Santa’s on his way…and he’s bringing his reindeer too!
baby reindeer (28″ high), $375, ABC Carpet & Home
I wonder if you’re tired of me singing the praises of Ikea? The Swedish retailer has such wonderful items for less than $20 that it’s hard to resist featuring them in our 20 Below series. Today I’m a fan of this spotted dog – otherwise known as a dalmatian – which is part of Ikea’s soft toy collection.
Gosig Vovven soft toy dog, $7.99, Ikea
Okay. So who knows how to play the kazoo? Do you think this very inexpensive one from Pier 1 Imports would actually work?
metal kazoo, $4, Pier 1 Imports
This week I’m sporting a new accessory: a beautiful white hexagonal Kaweco Sport pen given to me by Jordana- White Cabana‘s heart and soul.
Thank you so much Jordana! I love it!
(Isn’t it beautiful!?)
Kaweco is a German company that celebrated 100 years crafting beautiful and functional writing tools meant to be tucked in a pocket and resist leakage.
What first started as a fountain pen company, you can imagine that quite a bit of innovation went into preventing those fountain tips from dripping ink into trousers and petticoats. The Kaweco Sport no-leak fountain pen was introduced in 1913 and marketed to athletes, officers, and ladies, offering the most secure closure for every situation imaginable.
Kaweco continued to offer pens designed for specific markets such as the launch of a ladies’ pen in 1925 and a mechanical pencil in 1934. As the years went on, the Kaweco collection expanded and became something of a best-seller during the 1950s through to the 1970s, as business offices made it their tool of choice and offered it as a special promotional gift to business partners. With increased popularity, special editions of the Sport model appeared in 1965 and additional details like a leather pouch, Kaweco “clock” in a wooden case and a Stoffels handkerchief sweetened the instrument.
You may know that the pen was marketed as a pendant at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games- how stylish indeed!
Despite years of success and style, Kaweco pens went into relative dormancy from the 1980s -1994 until distributor H&M Gutberlet GMBHÂ revived the product line and relaunched it full-force.
The beautiful Kaweco Sport pen model that I received from Jordana was released in 1999 and is a ball point in classic white with gold plated trim. Its simple elegance and compact length really do make it a perfect pen to take on the road- it fits nicely in the tiniest of clutches and looks stylish when it comes out to sign your name on the dotted line.
Even my white cat Groseille likes it:
Groseille takes a sniff (above). He likes!
Bad Kitty! Bad bad bad Kitty!
I was in NYC for part of the Christmas holiday where I spent time with my sister, brother-in-law and my two nephews. When my nephews were sleeping, guess who played with their toys? Yup – my brother-in-law. He created this entertaining composition:
p.s. My nephews (about 2.5 years and 1.5 years old) both love these two toys. The snake is rubbery and stretchy which is fun. The boys love playing with the plane but some of the parts (e.g., wheels) kept falling off so my brother-in-law ended up gluing them into place.
Photos by Jordana.