• Monthly Archive:: March 2012

    Sometimes, my 2nd grader likes to speak backwards–not facing away from me, but mixing up the order of her words. She, of course, thinks it’s hysterical; I find it maddening, especially by the end of the day. Because she gets a kick out of making us work to figure out exactly what she’s saying, it’s a real power kick…for a 7-year-old. But I figure there’s got to be a positive side to her punchy behavior. Maybe this strange sense of little kid humor was the inspiration for Sentence Shuffle Fun Deck. Housed inside a Band-Aid-style box are 56 illustrated cards containing a bunch of words that are out of order (for instance, “scaredy cat is a Linda.”) Players must then unscramble the words to form [&hellip

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    How many Facebook friends do you have who’ve shared their cute pix of their kids? You can put your hands down. Now, how many of those pals have posted their sonograms or photos of their pregnant bellies online? Yup, we’ve gotten those updates, too. But now matter how many telltale shots they upload, you don’t need to see documented proof to know that every mom-to-be is in need of a little TLC. If you’ve got a faraway friend or relative who’s expecting, let her know you’re thinking of her–even if you can’t see her–with a Pampered Pregnancy Box from Citrus Lane. This well-stocked package contains a ton of treats reserved for those times when she’s in need of a boost (think tired skin, swollen feet…). [&hellip

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    Lunch out with little kids is no picnic.  Because many of our local restaurants must keep up with a steady flow of kiddie customers, we sometimes dine atop tables that are, shall we say, not exactly up to snuff? Combine that with having to wait for your food indefinitely, and you have the makings of a rather unpleasant dining experience. For moms eating out with little ones comes a new line of eco-friendly products that won’t make the intended fun turn into a fiasco. Icky Products Color Me Placemats are ideal entertainment for kiddies in waiting (for their chicken fingers, that is). One handy box contains 10 stick-on, biodegradable mats and 3 non-toxic crayons, so little ones can busy themselves and eat their yummy meal [&hellip

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    My 3-year-old is at a bit of loss when she doesn’t have pockets. These days, she is constantly picking up stones, flowers and other treasures courtesy of Mother Nature, yet never seems to have a spot for safekeeping. While her standard outfit of pants and tops usually offer plenty of pocket space, we’re often at a loss when it comes to dresses. It’s one of the many reasons we love the oh-so-adorable Maggie Pocket Dress from MUNY Shop. This vintage-style one-piece is the perfect pull-over for the precocious preschooler: one who loves to dress up, but who needs her clothing to accommodate her sense of adventure. We love the contrasting print of striped pockets offset by the sweet flower bodice of this 100-percent cotton design. [&hellip

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    I’m convinced that my bag will forever contain remnants of my daughters’ fledgling careers as artists. Broken crayons, dried-out markers and scraps of paper and old receipts have served as the materials and canvases for everything from stick figures to cityscapes. In fact, some of their best drawings have taken shape en route to some remote destination, so I often make sure I am armed with sufficient supplies. For convenient creativity, we’ve got our hands on the latest travel-friendly art kit: Crayola’s Color Wonder Tiny Tube. Looks may be deceiving, as this pint-sized container holds over 10 feet of tear-off activity sheets, along with 3 markers. We love the fact that the drawing sheets have adhesive backing, so they stick on to any surface for [&hellip

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    When someone I know has a new baby, my favorite gift to welcome their little one is a book. It doesn’t matter if it’s a board book about bunnies or a picture book about penguins; I love the inviting prospect of sitting in a comfy chair with a little person on my lap, inhaling their fresh-from-the bath scent and snuggling in for some one-on-one time. It’s a small moment of parenting that gives me the greatest pleasure, and my hope is to offer that same experience to my new mom friend. If you’re on the lookout for a new baby gift this spring, be sure to check out Hey Little Baby! by Heather Leigh. The tender tale of a brand-new person and all the possibilities [&hellip

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    Back in the day, figuring out what bottle to feed your baby with wasn’t considered rocket science. Buzz words like BPA and PVC didn’t have moms on high alert, worrying whether their child would ingest toxic substances while drinking from her “ba-ba.” Plastic didn’t conjure up images of towering landfills, but was simply something you used to box up your leftover meatloaf. But because today, we live in a different world and have a myriad of product choices, figuring out what’s best for our kids can be a bit more challenging–even when it comes to something as ordinary as selecting a baby bottle. Well, we had an eye-opener this week when we learned that some of those bottles dubbed “BPA-free” may, in fact, may still [&hellip

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    I never realized how my work as a camp counselor would someday come back to haunt me as a mother. Many moons ago, I had a camper who refused to play sports. Any time we were headed in the direction of a field or gymnasium, she suddenly felt sick to her stomach and couldn’t participate. Because I knew to play by the rules (and I certainly didn’t want the camp director reprimanding me for any bad choices), I let her sit on the sidelines. But of course, once the end of the day rolled around and ice cream time was upon us, her stomachache mysteriously seemed to disappear. Well, one day, rules or not, I was not allowing this manipulative child to have even one [&hellip

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    I get a kick out of seeing hipster kids on their skateboards. Because they aren’t as common out here in the ‘burbs, it’s a small slice of city life that reminds me spring is almost here and that every kid deserves a way to get around town and hang out with their friends. I admit I’m not cool enough to frequent skateparks, but I am hip to the skate board lingo and know a cool deck when I see one. (For all you novices out there, that’s the part of the board that you stand on.) We think the Design Your Skateboard Kit from Janlynn is one way for crafty kids to make a statement on the streets. This kit comes with everything you need [&hellip

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    What would a road trip with the kids be without playing the license plate game? For as long as I can remember, my sister, brother and I passed the time seeing how many different state plates we could spot on those long treks down I-95. The game always seemed to start off slow–how many times could we spot New York and New Jersey before getting out of the tri-state area?–but before long, it got a lot more interesting as we headed south. If you’ve tried unsuccessfully to engage your tech-savvy kid in this classic game, it’s time to kick things up a notch, smartphone-style. Introducing pl8s, a kid-friendly travel app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that gives a virtual shout-out to U.S. geography. [&hellip

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