I’ve got some new things up in my Etsy.com shop.  Check them out.  THANKS!

 http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7367193

Now, however, I find myself having to write to the company regarding their commercial.  I have included it here.  What I find most offensive is when the kid asked to choose which book he prefers he says, “That book doesn’t even talk.”  Hello?  Reality check here, almost 100% of books he will encounter in his life “won’t talk.”  Sure, there are books on tape, etc., but this kid needs to realize that in order to get through school, he’s going to have to learn the silent way.  Better yet, why not practice reading with his parents… then the book actually would talk.

Yes, they should provide new technology to keep kids interested, to inspire learning, but don’t diss on the reality of the printed word.

Today I bought a bag of your cookies.  I bought them because my child noticed that Dora was on the bag.  His thinking is, “If Dora is on the bag, it must be great.  I don’t even know if it’s food or toys or insecticide.  I just know that I love Dora, so I love this bag.”

So, being the good Mom that I am, I bought the cookies.  It generally makes the entire shopping trip a little more fun for me if the kids are happy.

Here’s my issue.  Dora is on the bag, but the cookies are actually shaped like Dora, Swiper, Map, Backpack, and of course Boots.  My son being the knowledgeable 3 year that he is now asks not just for cookies, but specific shapes of cookies.  For example, “Thanks for the cookies, Mom, but I don’t have Backpack and I have 2 Maps.  I need BACKPACK!!!”

This turns an enjoyable cookie break into another struggle for us.  I don’t really need another struggle.  Here is my suggestion:  If Dora is on the bag, just give us Dora cookies.  My kids don’t need options.  They don’t really need cookies, for that matter, but a little help from you would be great.

Thanks,

Cookie Monster’s Mommy

Here’s my deal… I’m looking for new sandals.  Not cute going out sandals, but walking around the neighborhood sandals.  I had a great pair last year, but they eventually died.  I have a new pair this year, but they are already so close to death that I am searching for their replacement now.

I’m a slide girl.  I like keeping my toes together.  They’re like a family.  I find it weird with the thong-style sandals how they put the divider between Big Toe and his friend Toe #2.  I find it completely uncomfortable.  I can wear them if necessary, but they can’t be my “summer shoes.”

Problem is everything is thong style now.  I love Skechers brand shoes, but they are showing so many toe-spacer shoes.  Ouch.

I’ll keep looking so that my happy little toes can keep each other company in a great pair of sandal slides. 

***I need to get a life. ***

There is a recall of tons of cribs from Toys R Us (Babies R Us, etc.).  You can click on this link for more info.

 http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08312.html

Our crib is actually recalled, so I registered last night and we will get a voucher for a new crib in the mail (after we send in a part from the crib itself).

Kind of a pain, but they have had over 40 instances where the slats broke, so I think it is worth the effort.

Here’s my tip… When offered 2 double beds or a king, I opted for a king.  Don’t do that.  Get the two beds.  Sharing a small space with my husband is a lot more fun than sharing a large space with my 3 year old and my husband.  Basically, my husband had the equivalent to a double bed and then my son laid/pushed against me as my ass hang off the side of the bed.

Get 2 beds.

I wrote a letter to them because this ad is bad.  Bad ad.  Bad, bad ad!  If you use paper plates, that’s fine.  I get it, but for the company to encourage moms to use paper plates instead of a regular, washable plate pisses me off.  I would rather spend time with my kids than wash dishes, but I also am aware of how much waste we are putting out on the curb each week.  Think of the landfills, think of the trees.

Also, instead of teaching kids that everything is disposable, let’s teach the kids how to load the dishwasher, how to save paper/water/energy, etc!  We’re dealing with previous generations’ decisions in regards to the environment, let’s help make it a little better for our grandkids.

Here is a link to the contact info for Dixie:

http://www.makeitadixieday.com/contact.html 

Kids can get hurt doing some crazy, stupid, or ordinary things.  We can do our best to keep our eyes on them, but inevitably, there will be times when the little ones get into things that we never expected.

I got an example in my email today.  It had to do with the Magic Eraser, a product that I always keep handy.  Basically, a kid rubbed it on his skin and it gave him some chemical burns.  I looked up the story on Snopes.com as I always do to determine if it was true.  It sounds like it may be true, though it may be due to abrasive scratches instead of or in combination with the chemicals. Here is more info on the Magic Eraser story: http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/eraser.asp

Bottom line, you never know what your little guys can get into, rub on their skin, put in their mouths, paint on the walls, hide under their beds, etc. etc.  Watch your kids as much as you can without going crazy and pray that whatever it is that your child does (stuffing dried blueberries in their nose, for example), isn’t too bad!!!

I need to do some more research on this, but I thought I would pass this on.

This was taken from parenting magazine:

Toxic Baby Bottles? A toxic chemical in plastic baby bottles may pose a danger to your baby — here’s what you need to know ——————————————————————————– By Rachel Rabkin Pechman Early this year, a report by a California environmental group brought attention to toxic chemicals in plastic baby bottles, causing a run on glass versions. Next came a conference funded by the National Institutes of Health and other major groups at which similar warnings were announced. The concern: A chemical in some plastics called bisphenol A (BPA) — which has been linked with cancer, impaired immune function, hyperactivity, and other problems — can leach into a bottle’s contents. “There’s no need to be frightened, but you should try to reduce your baby’s exposure to this chemical,” says pediatrician Harvey Karp, M.D., a board member of Healthy Child Healthy World, a non-profit group that raises awareness about environmental toxins. Here’s how: Avoid hard polycarbonate plastic, which contains BPA. Instead, use bottles made of glass, or softer, safer plastics made of polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyamide. Brands that carry these include Born Free (which makes only BPA-free bottles), Gerber, Sassy, and Medela; call the manufacturer to check which it sells. Discard worn bottles (those that are cloudy or scratched): Chemicals leach into food more easily when plastics break down. Don’t heat plastic bottles in the microwave, or wash them in the dishwasher, since heat degrades plastic, releasing chemicals. Parenting, September 2007