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I don’t think of my self as materialistic.  We do buy things when we need them and sometimes when we want them.  We try to be smart with our money and only purchase things (especially big ticket items) after much research and deliberation.   But, when we do make a purchase, we tend to purchase quality.  I would rather have fewer things that are really nice (and that I really LOVE) than a whole bunch of stuff that is cheap and has to be replaced all the time.  That’s not to say that some of my really nice stuff didn’t come with a cheap price! LOL. I do shop for bargains and wait for things to go on sale!

There are few things in my life that I couldn’t live without.  Recently I was asked by Totsy what I couldn’t live without (besides my family, of course).  My response?  My kitchen.  It is the epicenter of my home.  I love to cook and bake.  I use my kitchen to experiment, entertain, bake with my son, and cook dinner for my family 6 to 7 nights a week. I guess that is why I can say, without a doubt, that my two favorite items in my home are in my kitchen.  Surprised?

I LOVE my Kitchen Aid stand mixer and my Learning Tower.  I mean I LOVE them.  I hesitated to purchase my mixer because I wasn’t sure I could justify the cost.  I mean, they definitely aren’t cheap!  Finally, after talking about it for years, my husband surprised me with one for my birthday last year.  I have used that thing at least 4 times a week and nearly every day!  I don’t know how I ever lived without it!  As for my Learning Tower, I didn’t actually purchase it, I got it for review.  But, although it isn’t cheap, it is WELL worth the cost.  Judah uses it daily to watch me prepare dinner and help when he can.  Again, it is one of those things that I don’t know how we ever made it without it!

The Learning Tower is built to last, and its a good thing, my son is giving it a work out, and will for many years to come.  And, I intend on using it for a couple more children to follow. (*wink*).   At just 20 months of age, Judah is mesmerized by everything in the kitchen and he loves to help!  When we bake he pours the ingredients into the mixer with my guidance after I measure them. When I am slicing vegetables he likes to hand them to me one at a time.  He likes to stir and of course he’s always the chief “taste tester.”

Although preparing dinner or baking goodies would be much faster without his “help,” I wouldn’t trade this time with him for the world.  He is learning so much just listening to me talk about what we’re doing, and he loves it so much.  Also, even if I wanted to prepare a meal without him, there is little chance of that happening!  He is so interested in what is going on if I begin dinner without him he comes running to the kitchen as soon as he hears a pot clank. He immediately begins hollering and pointing at the Learning Tower wanting me to drag it to the counter where he can perch and watch what’s going on.

He was interested before we got the Learning Tower and we were using a step stool that had two steps.  It was tall enough for him to see but I had to guard him against falling off and it slid around a lot on the floor.  Cooking and chopping was very awkward trying to keep a leg behind him so he wouldn’t fall off!  This has been a much safer solution to his curiosity.

So, I mentioned that my two favorite items we’re pricey, but well worth it.  Actually, before I was asked if I wanted to review The Learning Tower, my husband and I had discussed purchasing one.  Judah was showing such an interest in what we were doing in the kitchen.  We talked about the cost ($179.99) and how we really couldn’t afford it.  But, we felt this was something that would make our lives much easier and knowing how much time I spent in the kitchen, we knew it would get lots of use.  And, we were right, Judah was so fussy before and once he could see what was going on, his fussing stopped.  We decided it would be a good investment and decided to start saving our money towards it.

Here’s why I think the Learning Tower is a good investment

  • I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone, but if you are a true home cook who spends a lot of time cooking meals for your family (we don’t do take out and I cook nearly every night of the week) this is a great way to incorporate your children into what you’re already doing.  It is a wonderful learning tool because your children can begin to do small jobs and most of all – spend time with you!
  • It can be used in the kitchen for cooking and baking but it is also great for children to use for hand washing and washing dishes!  And, we use ours to play with homemade playdough too!
  • The platform is adjustable so it is terrific for children ages 18 month to 6 years.
  • It “ain’t” cheap – I’m not talking about the cost this time.  The Learning Tower is made out of high quality layered birch wood and is built to last.  I can see this piece lasting through the three children I hope to have.  And, we use it multiple times every day!
  • It has four side railings, unlike regular step stools.  It is much safer for standing up high and kids can work  or play while standing in it without you having to worry about them falling out.  (Bonus- they can crawl in and out of it safely all by their selves!)
  • It has a large platform, big enough for two small children to stand on at once or one child has a tremendous amount of room to move about.  (It has been tested to hold up to 500 lbs!).
  • It is easy to clean with a damp rag.
  • It has other cool attachments that you could add later to get even more use out of it!  We have the art easel with a white board on one side and a chalk

Okay, so I’ve gone on…and on about why I love it, now I want one of you to experience the joy of owning one!

One reader of Wholesome Mommy is going to WIN a Learning Tower of their own!

Here’s what you need to do to enter:
1. (Mandatory) Leave a comment here telling me how you would use the Learning Tower in your home.

For extra entries (you can do as many of these as you want):
2. Blog about this give away and link to wholesomemommy.com & www.littlepartners.com
3. Become a fan of Wholesome Mommy and Learning Tower on Facebook
4. Follow @CentsibleSawyer and @LearningTower on Twitter and Tweet about this give away

Need some help? Copy and paste this tweet:
Enter to win a @LearningTower at @CentsibleSawyer ‘s blog wholesomemommy.com here http://tinyurl.com/38ezwae ends 12/12/10

5. Subscribe to Wholesome Mommy via email or RSS feed
6. Stumble this post

Contest ends 12/12/10 at 11:59 EST. Winner will be chosen via random.org & must supply shipping details to me (via email) in 48 hours or a new winner will be selected and the prize will be forfeited.

Disclosure:  I received a Learning Tower & art easel for review purposes.  This fabulous review is because I REALLY love this product!  As usual, all opinions are honest and my own!