*THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED!*


If you have a six month old to 2 year old, you'll know that one of their favourite games is "watch mummy/daddy play fetch!" Basically it involves your little darling throwing or dropping his/her sippy cup/teething rings/toy and watching you pick it up and bring it back. Really, this little game can keep your little tyke amused for hours! It usually only takes us parents a little less time to figure out we don't like this game as much as they do....particularly when they've dropped or thrown a toy or bottle of which we're unaware.

Simply on Board (a Canadian Company) makes great toy straps that may prevent your little ones from playing this game but save both your back and your sippy cups, Sophie the Giraffes, and teething rings from being left stranded on the sidewalk (if you've ever had to retrace your steps to find a beloved toy, you'll really appreciate these straps).

The toy straps are completely machine washable and has Velcro on both ends so it is very easy to use (and can attach to pretty much anything); attach one end to your stroller, car seat or baby carrier and the other end to the toy. The Velcro is sturdy enough so that babies won't be able to detach it from their toy but soft enough making them completely safe. There are two straps in a package one is a solid colour (Black, Green, Blue and Pink) and the other polka-dotted. We sell them both in our stores and online.

The kind people at Simply on Board would like to give TWELVE (12) of our Mastermind Fans and customers one package of toy straps each. To enter just follow the steps below. If you already follow us on Twitter, are a fan on Facebook and/or subscribe to our eUpdates, just let us know in the comment section of this blog (each action counts as a separate entry, so make sure you tell us in Six (6) different comments).

How to enter this GREAT Contest:

Leave a SEPARATE comment for each action taken at the end of this blog post telling us one of the following (PLEASE NOTE: EACH action counts as an entry for a total of 6 DIFFERENT comments)! When you leave a comment make sure that you enter your email address so that we can contact you if you win! (Your email will not be displayed publicly, nor will it be used for anything other than this contest!)

• "Like" (Fan) us on our Facebook Page (and comment here telling us you are a fan)
• "Like" (Fan) Simply on Board on their Facebook Page
  
• Follow us on Twitter (and comment here telling us you Follow us on Twitter)
• Subscribe to our eUpdates(and comment here telling us you are a subscriber)
• Subscribe to the Mastermind Toys YouTube Channel (and comment here telling us you are a subscriber)
  
• Leave a comment telling us why you would like to win a package of these straps and what colour you would choose (Black, Green, Periwinkle Blue or Pink)!

THE SCOOP

1. Entrants MUST be 18 or older
   
2. Contest entrants must live within Canada or the Contiguous United States of America
3. Delivery of prize is limited to shipping within Canada and the Contiguous United States of America by regular parcel post
   
4. The winners will be chosen using Random.org, a random number generating website
5. Upon determining the winners, we will notify the winners by email. The winners will have 72 hours to respond. If we do not hear from the winner at that time, a new winner's name will be drawn.
   

Entries may be posted between June 9, 2010 and June 16, 2010 at 4pm. A random number will be drawn on June 16, 2010 at 4:30 pm, the number will correspond to the comment entry and the winner will be notified VIA email!

Thanks for Entering and GOOD LUCK! :)

--Cathy the Toy Mom

In honour of Toy Buyin' Ryan and his wife's brand new baby, we thought it would be a good time to highlight some of the great infant and baby toys we carry here at Mastermind. Since my own kids are way past the baby age, I did a tour of our local store to get the low-down from some of our fantastic salespeople on what's hot in baby gifts right now (Thanks Heather and Norma!).

It turns out that one of the greatest gifts right now is Sophie the Giraffe, a teething toy made in the French Alps by Vulli. In France Sophie is as common as a Slinky in here but it only took off in North America a few years ago, thanks in large part to celebrity babies having photos taken while gnawing on one.

Sophie is a great little toy for babies and it's plain to see why it's one of the top toys in France:

• Sophie is made from 100% natural rubber tapped from the Havea tree so it's completely non toxic.
  
• Her spots and face are painted with non-toxic food-grade paint.
• Her soft rubber body has lots of places where a baby can grasp on to, and her bumpy head is great for soothing sore teething gums.
• Sophie squeeks when squeezed.

The Lamaze Garden Bug Foot Finder and Wrist Rattle Set: Babies wear the rattles on their wrists and feet and it can keep them entertained for quite awhile. The black and white patterning on the rattles is particularly good for babies under four months of age as their vision is still developing and the bright colours appeal to them as they grow.

Baby Geomag: Swiss company Geomag makes these popular magnetic farm sets available in 8, 11 and 20 pieces. These are big chunky pieces perfect for inquiring hands (and mouths!). Babies are fascinated by the attraction and repulsion of the magnets.


Sleep Sheep on the Go: A cute and cuddly little sheep that helps babies fall asleep away from home. This sleep sheep is a mini version (8") of the original Sleep Sheep. It comes with four different sounds from nature, two timer lengths (23 minutes and 45 minutes), and a velcro strap to attach to car seats and strollers.

For more great baby gifts see our baby toy category. Not sure what you want? Send a tweet to "Lisa the Toy Whiz" on Twitter and she'll be happy to make some suggestions. Twitter Handle: @mastermindtoys.