Sophie the Giraffe and Chan Pie Gnon Friends

Meltdown Averted, Baby Distracted

What would you do for an extra 5 minutes of baby glee during your cousin’s very formal wedding, an impromptu phone call from your boss, or during a meltdown after a long day?  What if I told you that the going rate for glee is under $20?  Sophie and the Chan Pie Gnon Friends have arrived and have brought hours of joy with them.  They are one of our top rated secret weapons for when we desperately need just a few more minutes of silence, and why we are raving about Vulli Toys from France.

When baby was really little, I thought baby toys were rather silly.  Sure, they were cute, but they seemed somewhat unnecessary since baby seemed content to snuggle with my calculator.  In all my many shopping excursions preparing myself for baby’s arrival, I must have seen Sophie a half a dozen times and each time I talked myself out of purchasing her.  Instead, I bought a handful of cheaper teething toys and called it good. 

But once baby arrived, I found that she couldn’t hold teething rings very well and then once she could, she was completely uninterested in them.  Then, a few months after she was born, a salesclerk handed baby a Sophie to play with while we shopped and baby refused to let her go.  We not only ended up leaving the store with Sophie, baby also insisted on carrying her out in hand.

As with all items you place in a small child’s hands, Sophie went directly to the mouth.  But, what really amazed me was that baby completely went to town gnawing on her Sophie, reaching all the way back to her gums where her molars would eventually pop through.  Since her teeth have taken forever to fully emerge, Sophie has proven to be a lifesaver over and over again.

More than just a simple teething toy, Sophie the Giraffe stimulates all the senses:

• Sight:
Sophie’s high contrast coloring is perfect for new babies whose eyesight is still developing.  Sophie is easily recognizable to young children and keeps their attention longer than any other baby toy we have found.
• Hearing:
Sophie has a gentle squeak that baby loves and mama doesn’t mind a bit. It took baby quite a while before she associated the squeak with her immediate actions, but once she did it added a whole new level of play. 
• Taste:
Sophie the Giraffe is made from 100% natural (phthalate-free) rubber from the Hevea tree and is colored using food paint, giving her a distinct and pleasant taste and making her completely safe to chew. 
• Touch:
Her texture is similar to the old school brown rubber nipples and is just as pliable and chewable.  Baby absolutely loves the feel of Sophie and still snuggles her in her sleep. 
• Smell:
The unmistakable scent of natural rubber from the Hevea tree makes Sophie the Giraffe instantly recognizable, even to the youngest babies. 
• Easy to grip:
Sophie’s legs and neck are perfect for babies that are just learning to grasp objects.  At just around 7 inches and very lightweight, Sophie is small enough to take everywhere and big enough to not get lost during your outings. 

How many other chew toys can you say even half of that about?  It really is no surprise to me that since her creation in 1961, Sophie has been wildly popular in France.  Over 20 million happy babies (and parents!) have been delighted by their own Sophie La Giraffe, making it one of the best selling baby toys of all time.  Recently gaining in popularity in the US, Sophie the Giraffe is quickly becoming a staple for parents looking for a natural and safe alternative to conventional teethers.  

Vulli, the makers of Sophie the Giraffe, have guarded the secret of how this amazing toy is made for 48 years and show no signs of giving up their trade secrets.  The bummer is that means there are only a handful of toys made using their traditional 14 step process.  The good news is that Vulli also makes other products, the most exciting of which is a new line of soft and squeezable toys made with the same special formula as their Sophie offerings.  They are called Chan Pie Gnon, which comes from the French word champignon, meaning mushroom and are just as adorable as the original Sophie.  Not quite as easy to hold as the original Sophie La Giraffe but easier for baby to squeak, any of the three Chan Pie Gnon line would be the perfect friend for your baby’s Sophie the Giraffe.  

Still not sure you need a Vulli Toy for your little one?  Visit any one of the Vulli dealers in your area and offer a Sophie or Chan Pie Gnon for baby to hold.  Be prepared to leave with Sophie or Friends in hand.

http://www.vulli-toys.com or http://sophiegiraffeusa.com and available at numerous local stores and boutiques.  See listing of stores here.

Price: $15 for the Chan Pie Gnon series and around $20 for the original Sophie La Giraffe.  It may be a bit more than other teethers, but well worth the money if you consider baby won’t touch any of the 4 other cheaper teethers we purchased for her.

Looks:  Adorable on all counts.

Overall:  If you’re looking for a natural and safe alternative to plastic teething toys or you just love classic toys, Sophie and Friends were made for you and your little one. 

 

Thank you to caliSSON for introducing me to the newest Vulli Toys line.  As you can see, baby's not keen on sharing her Vulli Toys any time soon.