• Monthly Archive:: November 2011

    My 3-1/2-year-old is fascinated with puzzles. She started out with simple 3- or 4-piece wooden models whose knob-handle pieces made them easy to complete. Before long, she was moving on to puzzles with more pieces, especially the ones that had sounds and other bells and whistles. I notice there’s a particular one at our local library that she favors: a maze of animals whose tummies get filled with tiny marbles by using a magnetic wand. Each time she “feeds” the hippo, she shouts out in jubilation. I’m impressed with her persistence, as it wasn’t too long ago when she would have given up and cried if she wasn’t successful right away. Practice and patience are two things I’m trying to teach my girls, and I’m [&hellip

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    One of the most useful, unexpected baby gifts I received was a baby footmuff. I don’t recall the brand or name, but I do remember taking one look at this strange contraption and thinking, “Yeah, right. I don’t think I’ll be taking that out of the box anytime soon…” Little did I know that when my daughter’s first winter arrived, I’d be struggling to fit her puffy coat inside her car seat straps day after day. I imagine wrestling a crocodile was easier than this! After many failed attempts at getting her in her seat without any tears, I had a lightbulb moment and quickly ran upstairs to unpack that suddenly practical present. This is genius, I thought, as I carefully stripped off her bulky [&hellip

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    When it comes to holiday shopping, what do you get for the kid who has everything? I’m exaggerating, of course, but sometimes it feels like my girls have more gifts than Toys R Us. While we swap out old stuff twice a year to make room for birthday and Christmas gifts, it still seems like the stuff multiplies overnight. I don’t remember being this spoiled as a kid, but then my mother reminds me of the infamous Toy Closet, a bottomless pit of toys, dolls, board games and books that was forever busting its seams. Talk about history repeating itself!… This year, we’re on a special lookout for non-traditional gifts that are easy on space and that encourage kids to use their imagination, instead of [&hellip

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    I don’t care if my daughter is closer to 4 than 3 years old; I’m not ready to part with her stroller just yet. A trusty, solid ride, her Maclaren Volo goes wherever we go, and has lasted us 7 1/2 years…and counting. While this stroller has seen its fair share of country roads, sandy beaches and other landscapes, it’s naturally had a few bumps and bruises along the way. If your pocketbook tells you that you’ll be hanging onto your own set of kiddie wheels for a while, it helps to maintain the look and feel of a sweet ride. Apparently, the folks at BuggyLOVE had this in mind when they created their line of organic stroller cleaning products. Whether the culprit is dried [&hellip

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    There’s no denying it: I am more excited about the opening of the new Muppet movie than my kids are. Both girls are petrified of Animal (“He’s too loud,” “Why does he always scream,” they ask me. I could ask the same of them, actually…). I don’t expect I’ll be ordering 4 tickets to “Disney’s The Muppets” on Fandango this week, but that’s quite alright by me. I want nothing to spoil this long-awaited moment, for a number of reasons. For a hour or so, I’d like to sit in a darkened theater with my Twizzlers and my childlike sense of wonder as I gaze at the life-sized characters I adored so much.  The little girl who never missed an episode of “The Muppet Show” [&hellip

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    In our home, Laurie Berkner rocks. When my 7-year-old was in preschool, you could hear “Victor Vito” and “Five Days Old” blasting from the CD player on any given day. Four years and two kids later, and we’re still rockin’ out, albeit to newer releases like “Shake Your Body Down” and “Choc-o-lot in My Pock-o-lot.” Yes, Berkner is a proven mainstay in the fast-growing kids’ indie music space that’s peppered with tons of musical variety. Because there’s undeniably no shortage of singers devoted to entertaining the 4 and under crowd, The Talking Walnut likes to keep on watchful eye on who’s still hot–and who’s not. We’re glad to say that 13 years later, Berkner still holds her own with plenty of toe-tappin’ favorites that even [&hellip

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    Amazing what memories a favorite toy can conjure up…When I was six years and recovering from minor surgery, my mom offered (okay, let’s be straight, “bribed”) me with three treats of my choosing. After careful consideration, I picked a visit to Jones Beach, Munchos potato chips and a pig in pickle car–and not necessarily in that order. A pig in a what, you say? No, it was not some strange variation of a passed hors d’oeuvre. If you grew up like I did, reading Richard Scarry’s Busytown, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. An imaginative world in which animals and various foods co-exist in harmony, the beloved porcine Mr. Frumble was second only to Lowly Worm who traveled in his signature apple car. (Others [&hellip

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    Since my last birthday (I’m not revealing my age, so don’t even try to guess!), I’ve been noticing my body ain’t what it used to be. I get a winded a little faster when I break out into spontaneous dance moves. My back develops a bit of a crick after playing endless games of merry-go-round with my 3-year-old. Yes, I’m getting older and I’m slowly learning that time is not always on my side. So when bathtime rolls around, I fear that once I am down on my hands and knees, scrubbing away my girls’ daily grime, I may not be able to get back up. While I’m only half-joking, maybe you know the feeling? That’s why something like the Moby Bath Kneeler is most [&hellip

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    When it comes to snowmen, why is it that the guys should have all the fun? In a male-dominated world, we ladies can sometimes get a little tired of the men getting all the attention–and that includes snowmen. It is Crystal, not Frosty, that’s one of my favorite lesser-known Christmas characters (blink and you might have missed her in “Frosty’s Winter Wonderland” and “Frosty and Rudolph’s Christmas in July.”) After all, it’s Crystal that helps Frosty keep it together when the going gets tough. And let’s not forget those cute snowball kids she mothers; if it weren’t for them, future generations of Frosty might never be. So, this holiday season, we’re favoring the Design Your Own Snow Woman kit. Part of WallCandy’s winter wall decal [&hellip

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    My young heart was broken. After receiving Hoppy the Bunny for Easter one year, I happily took my stuffed animal outside to play in the backyard. Sadly, a muddy afternoon and a white plush rabbit did not make the best match; it wasn’t long before poor Hoppy was desperately in need of a bath (as was his mother–a.k.a. Me). While a bit of spot cleaning may have returned Hoppy to near-normal, his fur was still uncomfortably wet and he didn’t seem as happy as pre-springtime romp. Ever take a blow-dryer to a stuffed animal? Not very pretty. How my long-lost stuffed pet would have benefited from Teddy Needs a Bath. This eco-friendly cotton washer/dryer bag made especially for the care and repair of stuffed animals [&hellip

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