I have always loved instilling a touch of fantasy in to the lives of my children. They have so many more serious years ahead of them, that they may as well believe in a wonderful world of whimsy while they can.

In our home, we believe in the Tooth Mouse and his arrival is always met with great anticipation by my 8 year old son, Daniel and 6 year old daughter, Rebekah. Loose teeth are wiggled for weeks and when they eventually fall out, I find myself with mixed emotions: sadness at how quickly my babies are growing up; and joy at watching their sheer excitement and anticipation as they prepare their ivory treasure for the Tooth Mouse and scramble in the morning to check whether this teeny Fantasy creature remembered to visit them and reward them for growing up. 

And, given that these teeth usually fall out at the most inopportune times (whether late at night or first thing on a Sunday morning), I always find myself relieved that I have one of Macaroon's little Tooth Mouse kits in my dressing table draw: magical little sets, perfect for kiddies who are starting to lose their teeth and perfect for Parents who want to turn this right of passage in to something to be remembered. 

We have recently re-launched these popular little kits and they now come boxed in beautiful little sliding match-boxes, with slightly larger-than-before envelopes. Each kit contains 10 sets of teeny credit-card sized envelopes: just the right size for a tooth or some money from the Tooth Mouse or Tooth Fairy! In each Tooth Mouse set you get 10 Mouse Mail envelopes to pop the lost tooth inside and leave out for the Tooth Mouse to collect -  a tiny letter to the Tooth Mouse from your child - named & dated from your child on the back so that you can remember which tooth was lost when. 

You also receive 10 Mouse Money envelopes (for Mom & Dad to hide away) that the "Tooth Mouse" leaves behind (with money popped inside) when he collects the tooth at night. The envelope includes a letter from the Tooth Mouse to your child - thanking them for the tooth and reminding them to brush often:"Hooray - A tooth - Thank You Friend. Enjoy your reward and wisely spend. Look after your teeth, brush them twice a day. I have to dash - more children to pay! With love, The Tooth Mouse"

The gorgeous little tooth fairy kits are made up exactly the same way - with 10 Fairy Post and 10 Fairy Funds envelopes. No more running around, writing letters, and hiding teeth in slippers, when your child's wobbly tooth suddenly falls out - At R220 per set, packaged beautifully in a matching box, these adorable kits are a must-have in any parent's cupboard and also make a stunning gift.

As mentioned above, in our home, the visit by the Tooth Mouse has become a much-anticipated event and the sneaky little rodent always seems to throw a "Mouse Party" in their bedrooms. When everyone in the house is asleep, he sneaks in and wakes up all the tiny toy mice and they set about creating some Mouse Magic! To date, they have had a camp out, a cheese picnic, a cheese party, arrived in a tiny pink cadillac - it amazes me just how creative our Tooth Mouse can be ;-) It is all of these little stories and fantasies that I hope my kiddies will always remember. 

When my Son lost his first tooth, I had to do some quick and quiet investigation on what the going rate for a tooth was. Thankfully we have older cousins in the family whose Parents could give me a guideline - you don't want your local Tooth Mouse to appear too generous or too stingy! But it seems that anywhere between R10 and R20 a tooth is the norm - inflation since the R2 note of our childhood! And while our six and eight year-olds seem to fast be becoming quite the tycoons with all their earnings from the rodent, these are the little fantasies that children always remember and add to the joy of growing up. So until next time, from Macaroon and from the Tooth Mouse, keep warm and remember to brush twice a day ;-)