Parenting Children

I love play doh and just the smell of it can bring me back to my childhood. My kids love it too and since it is a overcast, boring day here and I am waiting for a human to come out of my body I decided it was a play doh day. We will be breaking out the doh and some fun accessories after nap time.

Of course there is old school traditional play doh or you can get this awesome organic play doh set. It comes with six 4 oz scented playdoh tubs in strawberry, lemon, blueberry, orange key lime and grape and tools! You can also order refills for this kit. At $38 it isn’t cheap but makes a very cute gift.

This value play doh accessories set is great. I think this is a steal at $21.99 for all that you get. It comes with four textured rolling pins, one smooth rolling pin, four patterned clay mallets, four double-ended wooden modeling tools, a rolling wheel cutter and six sticks of modeling clay. Endless fun!

If you have cheap plastic cookie cutters around your house like I do (really I am a terrible cookie cutter baker, and I need to use metal cutters) they are perfect for play doh. If you don’t, do you want 100 of them? You can get them for $9.99 on Amazon.

If you don’t have any dough and want to make some there are a ton of recipes out there.
Put 1 part flour, 1 part water and 2 parts oatmeal in a bowl and mix. OR
put 1 C salt 1 C of water and 1/2 C flour in a saucepan and mix and cook over medium heat, until thick. When it cools add flour until it makes dough.

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I have so many favorite things to share with you today, the last day of February. I love looking all over the web and in stores for the cutest and coolest things for moms, and children. I also love supporting mom owned businesses and try to promote my favorites whenever I can.
Here are some great things that have caught my eye in the past few weeks:

I love everything sock monkey. Target has had a lot of sock monkey products lately from slippers to sheets. If you want to make your own, here is a good rainy day activity for you and your kids, make your own sock monkey kit.

I have always loved anything with my name on it, but who doesn’t? This site is closed for maternity leave right now, but it has everything personalized for baby from diaper covers to bibs and headbands. I can’t wait for her to get back because I need to get my daughter a personalized headband of her own!

Practice Spanish with these cute dominoes. These are English/Spanish dominoes and for $6.50 are a steal because they are well made and so cute!

Every little one needs a pair of converse sneakers!

Check out my latest reviews on the ultimate receiving blanket

Eco-friendly baby gear

A blanket that is easy to carry and so soft you will want your own!

Great burp cloths and

This amazing pregnancy planner I cannot live without!

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Is it really on February? This winter is going as slow as any I can remember and being almost nine months pregnant doesn’t help matters. It is all I can do to keep my poor five year old twins entertained in this house all day. Plus we haven’t even had the fun of snow to play in all winter long! Here are some ideas of fun indoor things you can do to keep your kids bodies and minds moving:

Hullabaloo My kids love this game. Think of it as a more motion filled Simon Says game. Players move from one colorful shape to another and use their bodies to perform the many Hullabaloo move, when you hear “Freeze!” the player on the lucky pad wins! I love this because even one child can play by themselves. 1-6 players, ages 4 and up.

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My twins will be five next month, just old enough to have definite ideas about what they want for Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, they have always had “favorite” items on their lists like a Little Einstein movie they had seen or a Dora doll. This year they have been preparing their lists for weeks. I introduced them to all the great Christmas movies from my childhood, Rudolph, the Grinch and Frosty. All of which were on regular television, which they are not used to watching. Anything they watch I Tivo and it is from Noggin or Nick Jr where there are no commercials. With these classic movies came the introduction to commercials for everything they don’t need but have to have.

Two weeks ago my daughter started asking for High School Musical 2 DVD. I have no idea what this movie is about, I have only heard of it in passing. I told my daughter this movie was for older kids and that she could get it when she was older.
That was not the answer she wanted to hear.

So for days now, she tells me “I know I am going to get High School Musical!” and ” I know Santa is bringing me High School Musical”. So what do I do? My fear is she will open all of her gifts and wonder where this one DVD is, the one thing she wanted. On the other hand is this movie for older kids and if so should I stick to my guns and not get it for her?

What happens when your child really wants a gun and you do not approve of them? What about when your daughter wants a Bratz doll or makeup and you think those are not great gifts for children?
What do you do when your kids ask for gifts that are not age appropriate?

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I have had many emails asking me how can parents know if their child’s toys are safe, so I decided to write some tips you can look for when you are buying toys. Chances are if you have older kids, their hand-me-down toys are not all safe. Since babies and young children put everything in their mouths, you may want to replace your toys. You can check on the manufacturer’s web site to see if they were recalled. This web site also has a list of recently recalled toys you can check out.

The paint on your child’s toys probably have volatile organic compounds (VOC). Check for toys that have water-based paint with low VOC or ones with no VOC paints. They will say so on the box!
Cheap plastic toys are cheap for a reason, they are almost always made with PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Sippy cups, teethers and baby dolls are almost always made with this material. PVC contains phthalates which has been linked to cancer and hormonal problems. Look for PVC free toys.

Try wooden toys. Not only are blocks and building systems fun for kids of all ages, if you buy non treated wood, it is safe for your children to put in their mouth (watch out for splinters!). These toys can be more expensive but try buying them on Ebay or craiglist, or find a relative or friend that has older kids and would be willing to give you their old toys.

You can always check out this website for more information on being green in your home.

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Part one was safe gift ideas for girls, and now we have some boy themed ideas. All of these are safe toys that are lead free and most are made in the USA.

Have a train lover on your hands? Why not take a stroll down memory lane and get these trolleys you may remember from Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. They can also be personalized!

If you have someone at home that loves to build or loves blocks this log cabin set would be perfect. When built, this 120 piece Woodlinks set is large enough to play with your toy animals or farm gear.

My son loves all superheroes but Spiderman is his favorite. Here is a Spiderman game for kids seven and up. Battle between good and evil!

This is a starter remote control dinosaur for your dino lovers three and up. Just press the button and talk into the remote to hear your T-Rex speak, or use the controls to make T-Rex spin and move. This is a must have for $19.99!

Do you need decorating ideas for your boy’s room? This is a racetrack for any age to enjoy. It comes with toy cars to race on it. Play with your toy cars on it or just build a room theme, this is so original.

Have you heard of Zome toys? Make buildings or spheres as big as your imagination. I think I would love these.

We got this marshmallow shooter for our 12 year old nephew for his birthday and he loved it. It shoots over 30 feet, is safe but should still be used outdoors. It holds up to 20 marshmallows for rapid fire shooting. I have to say it was hard to pry away from my big kid (my husband). It is reasonably priced at $23.00.

What are your favorite picks for the boys on your holiday list this year?

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I don’t know any parents or grandparents that are not concerned about toy safety this holiday season. It is on all of our minds and with over 80% of our toys being made in China, I can see why. You have to be careful of small parts, age requirements, lead paint and now GHB in our toys? During the month of December I will be reviewing and bring your ideas for kids this holiday season that are safe for both kids and babies.
Today I have ideas for the girls on your list.

My daughter loves watching me get ready for the day. She is fascinated with everything on my vanity and loves everything girly. Why not this wooden makeup playset for the little diva on your list? Made in Germany, this set includes a comb, 1 spray, 1 mirror, 1 lipstick, 1 roll-on deodorant, 1 hair dryer and 6 hair-curlers.

Little girls would love these Mary Jane rain boots. Perfect for slush, rain or a sunny day, these are adorable and affordable at $27.00.

A pram for your little one will be her best gift. It has rubber wheels, removable blue flowered fluffy cushions, blanket and a adjustable handle to grow with your child. This is pricey at $144.00 but can be a family heirloom.

I also recommend books for older girls, games for school age children and there is always stories on cds for kids.

Coming soon, safe gifts for boys this season!

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I have recently wrote about all the toy and baby gear recalls and how frustrating it has made me, and I am sure I am not the only Mom. When the Fisher Price recalls came out I sat and thought about all the Dora and Diego toys I had that were being recalled, hundreds of dollars worth of toys. I found out later that my toys were not effected because they were purchased before the recall dates. I was not that relieved.
I sat in my children’s playroom and looked at all the toys that could be dangerous for my children; Thomas trains, plastic food for their kitchen, superhero dolls, dress up jewelry and baby dolls.
What was I to do?

Now that Christmas is coming up I am really reevaluating what I have in my house already and what I need. I am compiling lists of websites that only sell toys made in the USA. I am suggesting clothes, books or savings bonds instead of toys for family to give them. I am trying to buy handmade items for people on my list.
With a new baby on the way I have thrown out my Avent bottles and I am researching safer bottles, bibs and baby gear.

Maybe this was my wakeup call that my kids have too much, that we all have too much. The simple toys, blocks, puzzles books, arts & crafts and games are usually the best anyway. Does my daughter really need a life size Barbie? Does my son need 1000 Thomas trains?
The answer is no.

I hope you will join me in the fight to make our children’s toys safer, you can start here.
I hope you will try to buy handmade items or make them yourself this holiday season. I hope that someday soon I can buy something for my baby or preschoolers and not have to research it for weeks first, or find out it was recalled a week later.
I hope all of our children are safe.

What are you doing to keep your kids safe this holiday season?

This post was for a Parent Bloggers Network blog blast “get the lead out”.
Check out the Consumers Union to learn more and take action!

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I am really about to take all of my children’s toys away and give them cardboard boxes to play with, after all of these toy/baby gear and clothing recalls. Cardboard boxes are probably toxic anyway!
Now, a Chinese-made toy was ordered off store shelves in Australia after tests showed that had a chemical that converts into the “date rape” drug, gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB) when ingested.

Over the past two weeks, three children in Australia had to be hospitalized after they swallowed beads from Bindeez. Bindeez are a very popular toy in Australia and they are beads that can be arranged into designs and then fused together by spraying water on them. However, scientists found that the beads contain a chemical that humans metabolize into GHB, which can cause drowsiness, unconsciousness, seizures, coma and death!
Now aquadots a popular toy here in North America, is also being recalled. This was a toy my daughter was asking for Christmas! This is the same toy just manufactured under a different name in Australia.
What are you doing about all of these recalls?

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Have you already started looking for ideas for the holiday season? I know I have, with two kids to buy for and plenty of nieces and nephews, I always try to get a head start. It doesn’t mean I buy anything yet, but I am in the very important planning stage. Plus, I do a lot of research and shopping online during the holiday season.

I came across this Puppy Grows And Knows Your Name Retriever by Fisher Price.
You personalize the dog with the included CD ROM including the child’s name, the dog’s name, your child’s friends names, where they like to go and the child’s birthday. The dog is a puppy when you take him home and apparently “grows” to full size in one week.
Puppy comes with a bone, brush and puppy toy. Once Puppy is full grown, you can re-set him to watch him grow again and again.

Although I have a stuffed animal ban in my house, this sounds like something my children would love. It takes 4 AA batteries and is for children ages 3-7. They also have a poodle if you are not loving the golden retriever. The cost of this puppy is $45.00.

Later in the year I will have some must have gifts with reviews for this holiday season, and you can always check out toys at this site.

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It is still hot and humid here in NJ and we can’t wait for it to get a little bit cooler so we can really enjoy the weather instead of complaining about it. My kids still have many days to play outside before we are hunkering down in our house.
I think this toy is so perfect for this time of year.

It is a line chaser truck that follows any path you can make with your chalk. Make it go in circles, over bumps, whatever. Perfect for ages 3 and up and a perfect present for that fall birthday.

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Mattel is recalling more then 800,000 toys in the third recall in a little over a month. Again these are Chinese made toys containing high counts of lead paint.

The recall includes Barbie accessories sold between October 2006 and August of this year, 90,000 units of Mattel’s GeoTrax locomotive line and about 8,900 Big Big World 6-in-1 Bongo Band toys, both from the company’s Fisher-Price brand. The Big Big World products were sold in the U.S. from July through August of this year, while the GeoTrax toys were sold from September 2006 through August of this year.

For information about these latest recalls, you should call Mattel at 888-496-8330 or visit the company’s Web site at http://www.service.mattel.com.

Tell me what are you doing now that all these toys are recalled? Are you OK with buying toys from China?

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Mattel is recalling more toys today due to lead in the paint on the toys and expanding another recall they have of “magnet” dolls.
The first is the car “Sarge” from the movie Cars.

The magnet toys include “certain dolls, figures, play sets and accessories that may release small, powerful magnets.” The majority of the 18.2 million magnetic toys subject to the recall are no longer on store shelves, the company said, and newer toys have been designed to retain their magnets.

You can find all the information on these recalls on Mattel’s site.

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There is one thing I think all kids like at any age and that is water. My kids are no exception and they love to pour water from container to container, that is why they love to play “tea party”.

This tea set for kids is perfect. It is colorful and just right for little hands. It is a 13 piece porcelain set for $17.99.
Make a day of it and have a picnic and some tea with this cute set. This porcelain set comes with includes: a basket, 4 sets of spoons, forks and knives, 4 sets of mini cups and saucers, 1 teapot, a sugar pot, a milk jug, 4 napkins and a tablecloth.
Invite some friends over (even dolls!) cut out sandwiches with cookie cutters, read a story and then have some tea.

Adorable and fun for kids and their parents!

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Fisher Price is recalling millions of their most popular toys because of too much lead in the products, including Sesame Street, Dora and Diego. If you have purchased any of these toys from May 2007 until August 2007, contact Fisher Price at (800) 916-4498 anytime or visit the web site at www.service.mattel.com.

For a complete list of the toys, check out the press release.

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