Monthly Archives: September 2008

K’NEX Sesame Street building sets for ages 2-5

KnexsesameoscarSesame Street, on television since November 10, 1969 is the longest running children’s program on American television and is a childhood staple.  K’NEX Sesame Street building sets give our children a fun way to interact with their favorite Sesame Street characters.  These new character building sets come complete with K’NEX rods, connectors and blocks that can be snapped together.  Beyond the standard K’NEX building pieces, each Sesame Street K’NEX character has its own unique pieces like Oscar’s pet worm and funny eyes.  Each Sesame Streen K’NEX building set includes additional building ideas.

When I saw that the Sesame Street K’NEX building sets are for ages 2-5, I was thrilled because there aren’t many building toys that Madelyn, my two year old daughter, can actually build.  With most building sets the pieces are too small or too difficult for a two year old to snap together but these K’NEX pieces are large enough for Madelyn to hold onto while she snaps the pieces together.

As a mom, one of the things I appreciate most about the K’NEX Sesame Street building sets is that they are self contained.  The Oscar the Grouch pieces, for example, are stored in a garbage can container.

Other characters include Ernie, Cookie Monster, Grover, and Abby Cadabby.  Pieces from different sets can be combined to make some very silly characters!

Price: $10.00 & up

Available at: Amazon.com

Ju-Ju-Be WannaBe: an everything bag for parents on the go

Jujubesmart
Fall is the season when the kids actually want to be outside and I do to.  Enough of the scorching hot days already!  What do parents do when they go on a day trip?  Pack, pack, pack as if they are going camping for a week.

I recently got a Ju-Ju-Be WannaBe bag and it is perfect for those day trips to the playground or park.  Besides being easy to carry either on my shoulders or back, the WannaBe has tons of features that make organizing the 100+ things I feel like I have to take, simple.  I can easily fit two sippy cups, snacks for two kids and for Tim and I, toys (for the kids), a notepad, crayons, one or more changes of clothes for at least one of my kids, Madelyn’s baby doll, my wallet, a book, magazines, my toiletries, and I could easily fit a first aid kit, a small puppy and my laptop.  Yes, the bag can get heavy but I would rather carry one bag than tote three bags through the park or playground.  The best thing is that the 19" x 17"x 8" WannaBe converts to a backpack without sacrificing inside space, so I can carry the bag on my shoulders or back.  This is not your average diaper bag.. it’s fun, bold designs and size makes it great for toting everything your kids need for a night at Grandma’s house or a friend’s house. 

As with most Ju-Ju-Be’s bags, the WannaBe uses magnets instead of velcro (too loud!), has an insulated pocket (the WannaBe insulated pocket covers the entire width of the inside of the bag), tons of mesh pockets, and padded straps.  The WannaBe also features three soft lined pockets to keep your sunglasses, iPod, and cell phone safe.  On the outside there is a magazine, book, and towel holder.  And the two clear wet pouches keep cosmetics, electronics, and other items safe from water.  I can’t forget the Sand Trap.  You can unzip the bottom of the WannaBe and shake the sand out while the mesh bottom keeps everything in the bag.

Price: About $160

Available at: Check for an online store that carries Ju-Ju-Be or find a retailer near you

David Blaine: Dive of Death – a mom’s thoughts

David blain’s Dive of Death show just ended and I am curious about what other parents thought about the show, the stunt, did you let your kids watch, and were you impressed or disapponted?

I have to admit that I was a little diassapoited with the finale. After all the ‘Dive of Death’ hype on ABC, I expected David to jump 40 feet to the ground free from any safety equipment. I’m not saying that I thing diving 40+ feet to the ground is a smart choice but instead I am trying to point out how what we hear on the news, gossip, and hype advertising can be misleading and/or how us as viewers expect something totally different from what really happens. Sound farmiliar? How many times have you as a parent told your kids that the toy in the commercial they just saw, doesn’t really move on it’s own or fly through the air as expected?
I would love to know if you let your kids watch the finale and what you thought.

Morgan’s Mine Adventure Playset

Thomasmine
Most of the child population likes Thomas the Tank Engine.  Now kids can relive the adventures of the brand-new Thomas
and "The Great Discovery" DVD story with
Morgan’s Mine Adventure Playset which is great for toddlers 3+.

The 35-piece Take Along playset is packed with fun sounds, lights, and obstacles and keeps Madelyn’s attention.  She loves setting Thomas at the top of the track, pushing the button and watching Thomas go down the track really fast and I love the cardboard walls that keep the vehicles from  falling off the track.  I  get really frustrated with trains that go right off the track as soon as they go a little fast but these don’t.  She does this over and over again.  There is a little button at the top of the track that she pushes to release the train onto the track and after that it is all action!

The tracks are easy to put together and take apart and the set is portable making it great for taking to Grandmother’s house and for cleaning up quickly.  There is even a storage area where the vehicles can be stored.  The vehicles feature durable die-cast construction and magnet connectors.

Watch this video as Madelyn, two years old, plays with Morgan’s Mine Adventure Playset. It may sound like I am yelling at the beginning so you might want to be sure your computer’s volume is not too loud.  I was trying to talk over the playset’s sounds and Madelyn’s excitement.


Price: $39.99

Available at: Learning Curve

Mo Smells Red – a scentsational journey

Mosmellsred
Did you ever think you could smell color with your nose?  I didn’t but I’ve been given a new appreciation for smells since reading Mo Smells Red.  Mo Smells Red is a cute story about a dog, Mo, who goes on a scentsational journey and takes readers with him.  Throughout the book Mo enjoys the smell of red roses, juicy red strawberries, chocolate, and fire.  Readers can actually smell what Mo
smells through the Press-2-Smell technology.  Embedded within the pages of the book are
scent-dispensing packets good for thousands of “sniffs” containing
safe, non-toxic scents that truly mimic real life smells.

Both you and your child will enjoy the story about Mo, an adorable little dog, and the real life smells are sure to leave you craving a juicy red strawberry, a walk through a rose garden, a piece of chocolate.. or maybe all three.  The book is short and sweet making it perfect for kids two years and older.  My daughter is two years old and wants to read Mo Smells Red every time she sees it.  The concept is fascinating.   I thought surely after reading the book a few times, the smell of the roses would combine with the smell of the strawberries and so on, but that’s not the case.  Each smell stays true to what it is and will for thousands of sniffs.

The embedded scent pouches contain natural essential oils and the pages
are printed on 10% post-consumer paper stock and printed with soy-based
inks.  A portion of the proceeds will go to Best Friends Animal Society
(www.BestFriends.org) and support their initiatives to work with humane
groups across the country — to bring about a time when there are no
more homeless pets.

You will also find baby tee’s, tote bags, stickers, notebooks and more in the Mo’s Nose store.  Mo Smells Red will make a gift for a child ages 2+.  Even tweens enjoy Mo Smells Red because cute story and fun scents.  Mo Smells Red is the first installment in the Mo’s Nose series of books created by long time friends Margaret Hyde and Amanda Giacomini.  I can’t wait to see what the next installment is!

Price: $17.95

Available at: Mo’s Nose

Giveaway alert! We have two Mo Smells Red books and tee’s to give away.  Join our newsletter to learn how and when you can enter to win.