one eyed jacques

Whether you are looking for an affordable gift for Christmas, a baby shower present or, god willing, you have your own baby, you may want to consider Jacques the Peacock. He is not vain or aloof. He doesn't make weird squawking or shrieking noises at the crack of dawn like a real peacock. In fact, he is a simple toy that your new born will adore whilst helping to develop a baby's senses in the first years of life.

Jacques the peacock is made by Learning Curve and is described as a Lamaze toy. Lamaze Toys are developed with the assistance of the Lamaze organization which works to improve childbirth and childcare technique and understanding. There are other toy animal characters in the Lamaze range. Morty the Moose and Freddie the Firefly spring to mind. Just like Jacques, they are what used to be described as a mobile (or maybe they are still described as a mobile). You would hang them over a baby's cot or crib and baby would gaze at them.

A baby's eyes need to develop, along with their hearing and sense of touch. In fact lots of things have to develop, but in terms of their senses, Jacques the Peacock and his cuddly toy friends are designed just for that purpose.

Jacques is made from a soft velor fabric that is generally soft and safe for a toddler to cuddle with. He has different textures along his tail feathers so that the infant feels different textures on his/her hands and skin.

The tail feathers are a series of panels that have different colors and contrasts. The back of the panels are black and white so that a baby can get some relief from potentially overpowering colors.

On the panels or tail feathers are a crinkle, a rattle and a squeaker (ok, so Jacques does make a few noises but he doesn't shriek). Your baby or infant will gradually learn to play with these noise making devices and this will help develop hearing. There is also a mirror on one of the wings to develop awareness as the baby gets older.

Jacques the Peacock will grow to be your baby's first friend. Once your baby gets more mobile there is no doubt that Jacques will be taken along for the ride. He has a clip which can pretty much be affixed to most things. It's ideal in a car attached to a baby seat or even on a high chair at feeding times. Known as the play and grow Peacock, he will be an ideal companion in your baby's first few years and will help develop sight, hearing and tactile senses.

Florida is known as the retirement state. Not only are there the local seniors, there are also those that escape the cold winters up north that spend around 6 months down here every year. They are referred to as "snow birds". Population experts estimate that of over fifty million Americans, about 17% of the population will be sixty-five or older in the year 2020. In most parts of the world, women on average live longer than men. In the the late 1990s in the U.S., life expectancy at birth was eighty years for women and seventy-seven years for men.

Well, we do hear a lot of incidences on the news like I've mentioned before like those that wander off with dementia, then you hear of those plowing into buildings, those that get abused in nursing homes. There was recently an eighty-nine year old that was sexually assaulted by two teenagers none the less! They also tried smothering her with a pillow, not to mention, they ransacked her house and stole her vehicle. There was also a gentleman who took walks quite frequently, and was assaulted and was beaten so badly, they just about broke every bone in his face and left for dead. You see all these things on the news, and it just blows your mind!

I'm telling you, no matter what your age, you should have some kind of self defense mechanism on you. If you're out walking, have something in your hand or pocket, on your side, somewhere so that you can quickly protect yourself. A stun gun is an excellent choice for taking walks or even for home use. Keep it by your door within reach. There are many different kinds of self defense products that are all excellent choices, make sure to check them out. They make great life saving gifts as well to defend the ones you love.