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When Muffin Tin Boy broke his elbow last week I knew I wanted to do something for him that would make having a cast a little bit easier to bear. Sharing it with family paid off! My brother-in-law discovered this amazing company! I knew when I saw it that this would be just the thing.


Their mission is to provide "happy healing" to those who are mending a broken bone.Casttoo was created by the talented and adventurous Jessica Smith who herself had a broken bone from a bicycling accident and decided to share her passion for happy healing with the rest of us. She is accompanied by a rockin' staff that are all committed to the bringing a little more joy to bone break recovery.


Casttoo's are for everyone and easy to apply with a little heat. They come in a wide variety of options including asian dragons, rainbows, fairies, flowers, sports, unicorns, flames and you can even have a custom Casttoo made of the x-ray of your break!

The pricing is moderate and increases depending on the size of the Casttoo you want. Muffin Tin Boy received the small asian dragon (around $20). Totally worth the smile on his face from ear to ear when he saw it.

Their clever sizing chart made it easy to decide what size who fit a 5 year old boy...



And with step by step instructions that came with the Casttoo and available online, we were set!

Here's ours (He had his cast re-wrapped in blue):
**Disclosure: MT Boy and I did receive a Casttoo free of charge in order to write this review.

Children love to be told how proud you are of them and how much you love them. They love to hear specifically what they have done that has earned a compliment or moment of praise. Nothing beats hearing "I really like it when you.." or "wow! You picked all your toys without whining or complaining. I am so proud of you. Keep it up." And while that is always a top priority it my book, a little "love gossip" is a great way to well, share the love, so to speak.

What's "love gossip", you ask?

Here's how it works. While your child is within ear shot, talk to a stuffed animal or doll about your child. Maybe your son or daughter ate all their dinner or was kind to friend or sibling. Choose something and share it with that toy-paying careful attention to make sure your child can hear you. Be sure to be authentic and not too "over the top".

Example: (to "bun-bun" the stuffed bunny) What? I know, I saw that too. K was kind to her brother tonight. She shared her treats with him. She didn't have to. What was that? You want me to give her a hug for you and tell her how proud you are? Okay. (hugs). K, bun-bun is really proud of you and so am I.  

This also works in 3rd person when talking to dad, grandma and grandpa, or another friend.

Example: Daddy, did you read K's report card today? Her teacher wrote that she is a very good listener. I agree, she IS a good listener. I am so proud of her. 


Nothing boosts a child's self confidence more than a parent who believes in them. And to be clear, telling someone else about your child doesn't replace telling them yourself, that should always come first. "Love Gossip" is just a great way to add to it. :)

**I first read about this concept in  Dr. Karp, MD's The Happiest Toddler on The Block Although he doesn't call it "love" gossip.


*photo by aussiegal