• Monthly Archive:: February 2013

    Psst! Yeah, you. Can you keep a secret? OK, here it goes….my house is a mess! I mean, no matter how much I try to move the newspapers into the recycling bin, the toys into their bins, the laundry into the dressers, I just can’t keep up. And since I work from home, I feel guilty that our home isn’t as tidy as it could be. Barbara Reich must know just how I feel. Her just-released book, Secrets of an Organized Mom, speaks to me in a way that doesn’t make me feel so terrible about my chaotic household. Instead it leaves me with practical tips that don’t require a fancy smancy organizing system–just some common sense. Reich’s how-to book breaks down the otherwise arduous [&hellip

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    I admit that I’m not much of a  personal shopper, but when it comes to kids’ clothes, I can’t resist. This time of year, our mailbox has been stuffed with catalogs ranging from Growing Up Garnet Hill , to crewcuts. I love every minute of paging through the glossy spreads and perusing the frilly frocks, sweet sundresses and tons of stylish warm weather items. Maybe all these clothes remind me of my own teen years, as I lay sprawled across my canopy bed with magazines like Sassy, Seventeen and YM checking out all the back-to-school possibilities. Or maybe it’s because checking out kid stuff is so much more satisfying than all those women’s swimsuit catalogs that quickly find their way into the recycling bin (thanks, [&hellip

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    How are you staying warm this winter? If you enjoy hunkering down and cozying up with a good book in hand, you’re in good company. According to the folks at Honeywell, there are plenty of satisfying reads making this winter’s top 10 list. Whether you’re settling in for the night with a dog-eared copy of Fifty Shades of Grey (or are admitting to it) or you’ve just downloaded the new J.K. Rowling onto your Kindle, you’ll want to keep warm and toasty as you dive into a new read. Honeywell is offering the chance to win one of six $50 Amazon gift cards and an EnergySmart 360 Surround Heater. Enter to win by clicking on the book list link. Good luck! Tags: Amazon giftcard giveaway, [&hellip

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    Yes, we admit to focusing mainly on new kiddie products here at the Talking Walnut. But every now and then, it’s nice to shift gears and give a shout-out to the grown-up world. (After all, where would our kiddos be without us?). And because this Sunday marks our all-time favorite TV event of the year, we are paying tribute to the Academy Awards. In our house, we make scorecards and rate our favorite red carpet moments. (My 8-year-old can rate a dress “don’t”  faster than the fashion police!) But if you’re hosting or are invited to an Oscars party for adults, these are some fun specialty cocktail recipes supplied to us by Polar Seltzer that you can mix up. We’re not sure which concoction we [&hellip

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    My kids are in love with Fun. That’s the cool indie pop band that just took home two Grammys, including one for song of the year. I can’t quite put my finger on their latest musical obsession. (I’m just thankful for the reprieve from Katy Perry.) Maybe it’s because my 4-year-old likes the rockin’ electric guitar; it may explain why I sometimes catch her playing air guitar in the privacy of her room–and how I am then ushered out (you know how temperamental those creative artists can be). Well, if she can’t master the fancy finger work of Jack Antonoff, she can certainly have “fun” (hah!) trying. Or, better yet, I can set her up with a bubble-blowing instrument of her. You read that right: [&hellip

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    Back when my 8-year-old was in preschool, she came home from school one day and asked me where our beach house was. Bewildered by her out-of-the-blue question, I probed a bit to find out what prompted her inquiry. (It turned out that a few of classmates were going away from the upcoming spring break, and one girl announced that she’d be heading to her family’s waterfront compound–I kid you not.) “Right here” was the answer I finally supplied, gesturing to indicate our own humble abode. Did I mention we live just down the road from the Long Island Sound? No need to feel like that such close proximity to the water didn’t qualify as a seaside getaway…But I couldn’t blame my then-preschooler for her inquisitiveness; [&hellip

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    Spring training is well underway, and myriads of baseball fans are snatching up season tickets in anticipation of Opening Day. As all this snow slowly melts away and thoughts turn to warmer days, it’s only natural that kids will want to grab their mitts and throw the ball around with Dear Old Dad. Just because my baseball enthusiasm is limited to catching an occasional game on TV (more when my dad was alive) doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the peanuts and crackerjacks part of the experience (wink, wink). But for those of you bona fide baseball fans who’ll go to the ends of the earth (or so it seems) to defend your home team’s honor, comes a delightful new picture book that will resonate with [&hellip

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    What happens when the classic 80s TV show Fame enters the world of fantasy, and fairies take over the halls of a performing arts high school? It’s where the magic begins—literally. Last week at Toy Fair, we were treated to a sneak peek of My Fairy Tale Academy, a brand-new line of fashion dolls inspired by classic princess characters who are now all grown-up and singing and dancing their way through high school. While these gals still manage to hold o to parts of their original persona (Tinkerbell sports her wings and Snow White, her signature red hair bow), they’ve been transformed for a new generation of hip fashionistas. Each doll has a story to tell, which are bolstered by a series of webisodes and [&hellip

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    These days, it’s difficult to associate the word “web” with anything other than the Internet. But back in the day, if you were a boy, the mere mention of that word led to thoughts of creepy, crawling things and, of course, Spider-Man. Having just returned from Toy Fair, we are happy to report that the comic book hero is still alive and well, and maintaining his presence on toy store shelves. In fact, come this summer, we think boys everywhere will be clamoring for the latest Spidey incarnation: Uncle Milton’s Spider-Man Web Creator Lab. Part of the Marvel Science brand, this play set will help kids fashion their own webs that can be sticky or stretchy. (Arachnophobics need not apply.) Since the next Spider-Man movie [&hellip

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    Right about now, I’d do just about anything to be sitting somewhere warm, a warm breeze blowing through my hair, tropical drink in hand and a juicy book or glossy magazine to devour. After last week’s blizzard and contending with the aftermath of treacherous roads, cranky folks (including my kids home from school) and other minor annoyances, I’m ready to call it quits and get out of Dodge. Lucky for me, I got to attend Toy Fair in NYC over the weekend, and it’s the memories of those happy-go-lucky playthings that are carrying me through this otherwise depressing period. Yup, I’m still a kid at heart and look forward to getting the scoop on what’s new in the world of play for the year ahead. [&hellip

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