Feathering Our Nest
Is it the economy, our perpetual need to declutter, or our craving for beautiful eco-friendly designs? Whatever the reason, more and more parents are adopting a ‘less is more’ way of living, and it’s starting to extend all the way into the toy box.
Nest is the kind of store you’ll want to check out if you have a soft spot for wooden and eco-friendly toys. The focus here is on products from Europe and North America (although some are locally made) that are sure to inspire and delight.
Nest’s charming pull-toys, puzzles, stacking toys, spinning tops, cars, sailboats, dolls (and more) of enduring quality are all just waiting to be adopted by a worthy recipient. This quaint store, nestled comfortably on Dalhousie St., could double for Geppetto’s workshop.
We’re particularly smitten with:
- Wooden alphabet blocks that can be ordered in a number of different languages including German, Japanese, Greek, Polish, Hindi, and Hebrew (a fun and original addition to the playroom of bilingual households).
- Nest’s selection of play kitchen accessories and wool-felted food. Bacon and eggs? A sandwich to go? Do you want cheese on that? These are wonderful gifts for pint-size gourmets who want to be like Mom (or Dad) in the kitchen.
- Cherrystone children’s pillows and pads warm more than our hearts; they’re a hot-water bottle, cold compress, calming pillow, toy, and mattress warmer all rolled into one (but without the chance of scalding or spillage). Washable covers are made out of organic cotton plush and are filled with real cherry pits (which not only retain their heat or cold but smell like cherry pie when warmed. Yum!).
Owners John-Paul and Lisa thoughtfully select toys for their design, their eco-friendly factor (organic, painted with water-based vegetable dyes, or wood that’s harvested in a sustainable way) as well as for their heart and soul.
And that’s what we call nesting instinct.
Nest
www.nestfamily.ca
204 Dalhousie St.
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Tested by Andrea T., Ottawa |  |