Playing With Abandon In Skirts

LOVE these! I recently went school uniform shopping for my daughter and discovered these cute under-the-skirt shorts called Monkeybar Buddies. They are meant to be worn underneath skirts and dresses instead of bulky shorts and leggings. Here's the blurb on the back of the package: "Designed to allow girls to play with abandon. No bunching. No sticking. No bulk. Just pure, worry free play. Go ahead, swing from the rafters." They come in a rainbow of colors and patterns to match any outfit. Take a closer look at http://www.monkeybarbuddies.com/

A Crafty Card Keeper

I've been keeping the greeting cards my children receive (baby shower, first birthday, holidays, etc.) by throwing them willy nilly in a box in the closet... you know, with the thought that someday I would know what to do with them. So when I ran across this cute Card Keeper craft in the April issue of Family Fun magazine, I thought a.) this is something I could easily do and b.) it looks like a great way to turn all those cards into a nice keepsake.

To get started, cut two sheets of card stock slightly larger than your biggest greeting card - this is your front and back cover. Next, two-hole punch the cover sheets and decorate with some patterned paper and a picture (I used Picasa to add the text on my photo). Then two-hole punch your greeting cards and thread them together with a pretty ribbon. One nice bit about this card keeper: you can always untie the bows to add more cards to the back and it fits all sizes of cards. Crafty and cute.

Moms Who Chew Gum = Kids With Fewer Cavities?

My four year old daughter recently had her first cavity.  Truthfully, I felt like worst mom of the year holding her hand while she was getting her poor tooth filled. So when a dental hygenist / friend recommended this Spry gum for it's plaque reducing effect, I was curious. The gum is sweetened with xylitol, which from what I've read is a 100% natural sweetner that's been around since the 19th century; it was mostly known as a sugar alternative for diabetics. What I didn't realize was that moms who chew xylitol gum when their kids are 3 months old to 2 years old have kids with 70% fewer cavities at 5 years of age (read more about the research on the Xylitol page on Wikipedia). Now that's pretty interesting to us parents, especially since there is recent new research that suggests cavities are contagious person to person. That means mothers are transmitting the Streptococcus mutans bacterium, which is responsible for tooth decay, to their children. You can transfer the bacteria to your kids by sharing food and drinks, and even to your significant others by kissing. The gum is non GMO, gluten free, and comes in Cinnamon, Fresh Fruit and Peppermint flavors. Enjoy a tiny piece of gum for 5-10 minutes after meals and maybe my kids will get fewer cavities? I'll chew on that.

Stepping Back Over the Digital Divide

Like many of you, my music collection went digital probably ten years ago. So why, oh why, am I juggling CDs and DVDs again all day long? Ah, kids. First, I'd like to say we were fortunate to inherit a lot of children's music and movies from family - stuff I never knew existed and the kids love. So, that's the upside. But then there is the sheer logistics of managing all those discs, a problem that frankly I thought I'd left back in 1999. Going to the bother of digitizing music the kids are enjoying for only a short time in different rooms of the house and in the car doesn't make a lot of sense for me. And then there is the pile of TV shows and movies to contend with... Tinkerbell's Lost Treasure, Tinkerbell's Great Escape, etc.  Finally, I'd had it with all the CD cases and DVD boxes, which never quite matched the disc inside anyway and were scattering around the house. I pulled out all the discs and loaded them in three storage albums. Painfully old fashioned solution, I know, but I'd forgotten these things existed. All the music is now in one case. The two year old has her own case of age-appropriate videos and my four year old has the same. That's it. Takes up barely any space and easy to grab on the go. All the clutter of the original boxes is gone - stored away in the garage for the blessed day when I get to re-gift our collection to someone else. I hope they like fairies.

Favorite 4 Year Old Coloring Book: My Pretty Pink Doodling & Sticker Purse

If you have a girlie little girl, this is an hours of fun book she'll love. My 4 year old has returned time and again to her "My Pretty Pink Doodling & Sticker Purse" -- and apparently so have a lot of other little girls because this was on back-order over the 2010 holidays when I tried to order it as a gift. It now appears to be sold as two separate books - one for coloring and one for stickers. The pictures & stickers feature lots of butterflies, animals, flowers, gems, hearts and other decorations. Plus the stickers are easy-to-peel for little hands. Just darling.


My Pretty Pink Doodling Activity Purse

My Pretty Pink Sticker Purse