In our house, the kitchen is on the…shall we say…intimate side. While there’s ample room for our table that sits four, the cooking space is really meant for one person at a time. If one of my kids come to “visit” me when I’m at the stove, and the other tries to open the fridge, I can feel my shoulders tightening. And don’t get me started on prepping a big meal during the holidays; it’s not uncommon to see me shooing guests into the more spacious dining room. While I don’t see a major kitchen renovation anytime in the near future, it doesn’t mean my family doesn’t get a home-cooked meal most nights. Maybe my determination dates back to my younger days when I pined [&hellip
The Playful Walnut Archive
TGIF. Have you picked your pumpkins yet and been on a requisite hayride? Our house is outfitted in its Halloween finest, our costumes are all figured out and all that’s left to do is buy the candy (trust me, if I’d bought it any sooner, it’d be all gone by now). As you put the finishing touches on your own Halloween, be sure to find a spare moment for yourself and indulge something warm and toasty. If you’re a tea drinker (as we are), brew up a nice hot cup, put your feet up and inhale that wonderful aroma. If you happen to be in NYC, you might want to check out Starbucks Teavana Tea Bar on the Upper East Side. Opening its doors for [&hellip
As much we love to spotlight those big-ticket items on the top of every wish list, we also like to pay fair tribute to the smaller guys: those companies that fuel kids’ imaginations and give us yet another reason to wish we were little again. Urban Canvas is one of our latest favorites. They make eco-friendly toys fashioned out of recycled and reusable cardboard, including trains, buildings and even bugs. We love their Build 52 Playing Cards, a full deck of blank (save for standard numbers and letters) cards that kids can design and customize to their hearts’ content…and then use to assemble their own house of cards (thanks to their interconnecting edges). Not only is this toy a cool craft, but it lets kids [&hellip
It only takes a couple of Christmas catalogs to fill our mailbox, and boom! We’re already thinking of holiday gift ideas. And with Hanukkah right on top of Thanksgiving this year, kids will be drawing up their wish lists faster than we can clear the dinner table! My 9-year-old is begging for her own iPod, but the jury is still out on whether Santa will deliver. One toy we’ve got our eyes (and ears) on this year is PopStars!, a super-cool playset line from Playmobil. If you’re already familiar with this company’s tremendous assortment of themed castles, pirate ships, farms and other adventure-packed settings, you’re no stranger to the tremendous play value…not to mention the multitude of miniscule accessories they come with! But don’t worry [&hellip
When I was a kid, Halloween rivaled Christmas as my all-time favorite holiday. The very idea that you could ring a doorbell and be given endless amounts of Snickers and Milky Ways just for wearing a fun get-up? It seemed too good to be true. Until, of course, we trekked over to Holly Tree Lane, a street that seemed to have a large barking dog behind every door. (I can’t tell you how many times I turned around to keep my eye on my dad’s lit cigar at the end of neighbor’s driveways, a beacon of safety, after waiting what seemed like forever to receive a chocolate bar or handful of pennies.) Sure, I can look back at those Halloweens past and chuckle at my [&hellip
Is your kid clamoring for pierced ears? Are weekly manicures for your tween out of your budget this time of year? Then have we got the solution for you. Poppy Drops is a hip and happenin’ company that makes temporary tattoos for little nails and ears. It’s ideal for kids who can’t commit to a style–and for moms who won’t let their daughters get that double piercing in the first place! Poppy Drops Tattoo Nail Art is easy to apply: just cut a square around the image you wish to apply, remove the protective covering and place face-down on your nail. Using a wet cloth, moisten the paper backing and then let dry for about 30 seconds. Sounds a little involved, but after doing a [&hellip
When I was in elementary school, my older sister designed my Halloween costumes. One year, I was a Rubik’s Cube, another a stick of gum and still another a ladybug. All she needed was a cardboard box, some poster paper and a few other art supplies, and she managed to turn the mundane into the extraordinary. The year I wound a prize for best costume, I masqueraded as a yellow crayon, complete with cone-shaped hat. I wish I had a picture to post, but trust me when I say it was quite creative. If you don’t consider yourself handy with a glue gun or aren’t a seasoned seamstress, you may find yourself resorting to store-bought costumes. Easing your guilty conscience is a new line of [&hellip
Has your kid picked out her Halloween costume yet? If you have older kids, well, then…stock up on zombie clothing and facepaint. But if you happen to have a preschooler, you can expect her to change her mind at least a half-dozen times before October 31st. (Minnie Mouse….no, wait Arielle…okay, okay Minnie!) Sound familiar? Just as unpredictable as your child’s temperament is the weather. I can remember Halloweens past when my older sister went to great lengths to turn me into a Rubik’s Cube, a ladybug, even a stick of gum…only to have her handiwork covered up by a bulky coat. While lots of costumes for little kids are now available in heavier fleece one pieces, they’re not exactly ideal for climates contending with global [&hellip
What do you get when you cross a precocious preschooler with a singing kitty sidekick? The makings of a hit kids’ TV show that will have your resident kiddie learning about math, music and even outer space in one sitting. We had a chance to check out Peg + Cat, the new PBS Kids animated series about an adorable young girl and her cat who find themselves caught up in adventures that are anything but everyday, and applying their new-found knowledge to problem-solve their way out of any jam. In the first episode, Peg and Cat journey to outer space where, despite gravity, they must think on their feet. Before long, they are counting by 10s, and even up to 100, made easy by clever, [&hellip
It takes a lot for a CD to earn its scratches. Well-worn records of my childhood meant they were played over and over so much, we knew the lyrics by heart. Bruised knees weren’t a sign of rough play, but having been pounded one too many times as we mimicked the drum beat of our favorite songs. Well, it may be time for my kids to rack up a few bumps of their own, thanks to the effervescent, contagious sounds of Josh & the Jamtones’ Bear Hunt! What starts out as ode to gospel with “Swing Low” quickly segues into a mix of storytelling and songs that make themselves known–in the best possible way. The title track takes attentive listeners on an imaginative journey that carries [&hellip