• Monthly Archive:: October 2011

    The first time we took my baby daughter on a long road trip, I dreaded the moment we’d have to pull over and stop to feed her. I kid you not, I must have spent the better part of the car ride wondering aloud if the bottle warmer we had just bought would actually work, whether it would fit into our car’s adapter outlet properly and how long it would take to heat up her formula. (Yes, you can feel sorry for my poor husband; I do, too–in retrospect.) As luck would have it, my concerns were right on the money: after sitting in a fast food parking lot for what felt like forever, the bottle was only mildly warmed. But, if we didn’t get [&hellip

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    The results are in: when a national marketing research firm recently polled a number of kids as to what they’d like to be for Halloween this year, the top choices were princess, witch and superhero. Oddly enough, Wall St. powerhouse didn’t make the list. Have our kids been taking sneak peeks at our downloads of “The Daily Show” or glancing at the Post and Daily News headlines? In more ways than one, I too long for the good ol’ days of Halloween, spent trick-or-treating from house to house, rather than in the shopping mall. I miss being able to recognize and greet the motley crew of characters that paraded down the dark streets, instead of seeing the same Harry Potter and Lady Gaga get-ups outside [&hellip

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    It’s only October, and I’m already seeing signs of dry skin on myself and my daughters. With more frequent hand-washing during cold/flu season, our hands are a bit chapped and rougher than they were just a few months ago. Because my girls have unfortunately inherited my tender Irish complexion, they are more susceptible to winter’s wrath and therefore are slathered with lotions and creams more often than they’d like. Since the Talking Walnut is always on the lookout for products that combat eczema and other irritated skin conditions, we’re always willing to put new skincare to the test. Well, Episencial’s Soothing Cream is just what the doctor ordered. A pleasant-smelling balm made with a blend of natural ingredients like organic green tea and jojoba seed [&hellip

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    You’ll never catch me carving up a pumpkin. The closest I get to making faces out of food is limited to a fruit plate of banana eyes, a grape nose and a orange slice mouth. (My nickname wasn’t “Fruit” for nothin’!). But because I still love to decorate for Halloween, we invest in equally festive (and not as messy) alternatives: inflatable ghosts, flickering electronic candles and tons of wall decorations. We think WallCandy Art’s  Design Your Own Pumpkin Kit is a great addition to this year’s pumpkin patch. Little goblins who love to help decorate, but aren’t keen on getting their fingers in pumpkin goop will be able to let their creative juices flow, mess-free. This set of easy-on, adhesive decals includes 3 pumpkins, 35 [&hellip

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    A friend has been lamenting about her latest parenting frustration: what to dress her son in. Even though he’s only in second grade, he’s already developed an opinion about what’s hot–and what’s not (and apparently, Mom just isn’t in on the up and up). Just when you thought clothing was only a battle zone for mothers and daughters, we have entered neutral territory. And while there are plenty of stylish labels devoted to girls, there aren’t as many boy brands that moms and their sons can agree on. This past spring, The Talking Walnut reported on a boys’ graphic T trend that is hit across the board. Since then, we’ve noticed another new name joining the ranks of this fashion movement: iNTAKT caters to young [&hellip

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    It amazes me that my 3-year-old still loves a good game of peek-a-boo. On a crisp fall afternoon earlier this week, we played outside where she hid her face within the trees. It was only a matter of minutes before a fierce wind blew back their branches to reveal her little face, and she was suddenly in stitches. If your baby hasn’t yet graduated from this simple game, but you’d welcome a diversion in the same old, same old routine, check out Skip+Hop’s new line of Hug & Hide Activity and Stroller Toys. Each plush animal friend (choose from an owl, lamb, dog or monkey)  is outfitted in a multi-textured design and features a matching baby animal hidden underneath their arms. It’s a wonderful way [&hellip

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    To your average kid, milk and cookies is the ideal cure for the rainy day blues. Sinking one’s teeth into a chocolate chip-studded little number, washed down by a tall glass of ice-cold milk, can be just the thing to erase the pain of a forgotten library book or a silly spat with a friend. For grown-ups like me, my idea of comfort food at 3 p.m. doesn’t stray so far from the kid version, but I do like to think that my taste is a bit more refined than the store-bought variety (no offense, Keebler Elf). I admit that I’m not a tremendous connoisseur when it comes to cookies and other baked goods, so when I do choose to indulge, it needs to be [&hellip

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    En route to the supermarket earlier today, I came face to face with a life-sized Hallmark Keepsake Ornament. It was glaring at me through the window of a card store, reminding me that Christmas isn’t that far off. Ah, retail…I can’t even buy my Halloween candy before you start pumping me up for Santa and his elves. With this in mind, we bring you the latest incarnation of Shrinky Dinks: a 3D Christmas set of ornaments. If you grew up with this name in your house, you have already experienced the magic behind popping your creations into Mom’s oven and watching your creations miniaturize themselves before your very eyes. If you didn’t have the luxury of playing with Shrinky Dinks (and that would be me), [&hellip

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    When my now-preschooler was an infant, her pacifier was her best friend…and mine. It seemed like the only way to stop her frequent crying jags was with a translucent green pacifier that quickly soothed her spirit and helped dry her tears (even if it was only for a short time), as she suckled away, Maggie Simpson-style. Sometimes, my husband and I would hold our breaths when it inadvertently popped out of her mouth, and the sleeping babe failed to notice its absence, her little lips moving back and forth, no different than before. As she matured, but had not yet grown out of the pacifier stage, we feared those moments when she would realize exactly what had happened and cry her head off. Lucky for [&hellip

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    TGIF! In honor of the upcoming weekend, we’re helping host a special promotion with toy maker Educational Insights. The company is giving away a gift card valued at $50 good towards the purchase of any Educational Insights products. All you need to do is “Like” Educational Insights on Facebook between now and Sunday, October 16 at 12 a.m. PST, and then contact The Talking Walnut. We’ll select one lucky person randomly. Good luck! Wild Walnut Special: Start your holiday shopping now by entering to win a $50 gift card from Educational Insights. Congratulations to Olivia L.! Tags: Educational Insights, product giveaway, toys giveaway

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