Happy New Year!

I know, I know… it's four days into 2010 already. Better late than never, right? It's been a loooong holiday with tons of snow and keeping the kids off of each other while they're trapped inside. I am looking forward to tomorrow, when Roo's kindergarten classes resume. Perhaps I will finally be able to get some new posts written!

I don't make resolutions, in general, but my goal for 2010 is to be more optimistic. I figure changing my attitude will have a trickle-down effect on my whole life. I'm also continuing with the awesome ass-kicking that is the 30 Day Shred. I've only lost about 10 lbs so far but I'm hoping that's because I'm building muscle before I can shed the excess fat. After three months, my jiggly bits are noticeably firmer and I'm finally able to do most of the moves without resorting to the beginner modifications, so I am pretty happy about that. See?! There's that optimism I'm talking about!

And perhaps the biggest change thus far in the new year… yesterday we took down Jasper's crib and replaced it with his big boy twin sized bed. (If any readers in the Wichita area are looking for a lovely sleigh crib with matching changing table and bookcase/dresser, I can send more pictures…) We had the Environment Furniture daybed in our living room for over a year because I fell in love with it at an Abode Home clearance sale. Now I just need to find the perfect dresser and bookcase to match. On sale…




I am hoping that having more space will help Jasper to stop waking up at 4am. That would make my life better, for sure!

What's up with you this new year?

Christmas Day Photo Recap

Merry Christmas!

I am even more behind than usual and didn't manage to get cards out this year, so consider this your season's greetings…

Happy Holidays, everyone!

40 Years of Sunny Days: Sesame Street DVD

I grew up with Sesame Street so it's not a surprise to me that this year the venerable children's show celebrated its 40th birthday. It made its debut in November of 1969 and I was born the following year. Newsweek called Sesame Street “…arguably, the most important children’s program in the history of television” and I tend to agree. Decades later, I can still sing most of the songs and recite the skits. And we didn't even have VCRs in my day, sonny!



Now oldies like me can relive their childhoods with the Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days DVD set. This two-disc collection includes over five hours of Sesame Street songs and sketches culled from four decades of programming. It also includes a limited-edition hard covered commemorative book and plenty of previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage. If you order Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days online from the Sesame Street store, proceeds go back to the non-profit Sesame Workshop and their educational projects around the world. Plus you will also receive this snazzy Google Doodle t-shirt featuring your favorite Sesame Street characters:



The shirt is available in sizes ranging from toddler through unisex XXL, making the Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days DVD set the perfect gift for Sesame Street fans of all ages.

Disclosure: I did not receive a copy of the DVD to review but I've heard it's good, albeit a little heavy on the Elmo.

Tea Party To Go

Mighty Leaf offers a dizzying array of teas from all around the globe, but did you know they also sell gorgeous and imminently gift-able teaware? Everything from clear glass and enameled teapots to traditional Japanese iron kettles is ready to be wrapped up for your favorite tea enthusiast. My favorites include the Bodum iced tea pitcher that features a removable infuser so you can use tea bags or loose tea and the super mod Bistro Teapot with its sleek charm. I am also thrilled with the Mighty Leaf Tea Top Brew Mug, which is essentially a double-walled stainless steel travel mug with a patented lid that allows you to pull the tea bag up and stow it so you don't have overbrewed tea. Genius!





The Mighty Leaf Tea Top Brew Mug retails for $16.95 and is also available in gift boxes with decorative tins of your favorite Mighty Leaf teas for $24.95. I recommend the Tea Top Brew Mug & Orange Dulce Gift Set.



Disclosure: I received a Mighty Leaf Tea Top Brew Mug to review, with no obligation to write about it or recommend it. I chose to do so because it's awesome. Simple but ingenious!

Merry Effing Christmas

I entered Parenting By Dummies' Merry Effing Photo Contest with a classic picture of Roo rejecting Santa Claus. Okay, so maybe it's more like a picture of Roo's old friends blankie and doll-doll with Santa Claus. Look at what a lovely card Dumb Mom (no, we're not related) made our cherished holiday memento into!



Now comes the fun part- you can vote for it so we can win some nifty prizes including some toys for the kids and a School of Rock DVD for mommy's slightly embarrassing Jack Black crush. All you have to do is leave a comment on the post saying you want to vote for #23. You can do this once per day. The other contestants are pretty cute (I am especially amused by the nose-picking triplets) but ignore all that and vote for my kid. #23! #23! #23!

MomSelect Holiday Gift Ideas

MomSelect sent me a Holiday Product Pak and asked me to share a few of their favorite holiday gift ideas with you. (My thoughts are italicized and my very favorite item of the bunch is featured at the end!)



Holly and Hal Moose were introduced by Build-a-Bear last year and were the hit of the holiday season! You'll meet this antlered sibling duo, along with their with their story book, Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure", which has been made into an animated movie and DVD this year. These two are adorable and Roo loves dressing them up in their winter clothes. I might actually have to order Jasper the 9" mini plush Hal in robot costume. So cute!



The revolutionary Temple Touch Thermometer is the easiest and most accurate way to take your child's temperature: simply touch the thermometer to your child's temple area and in just seconds, get a clinically accurate result. Totally non invasive and gentle so it can be used even on the fussiest child. I remember being totally paranoid that I was going to have to stick a mercury thermometer in my baby's armpit or butt someday but thankfully technology intervened! This would be a great stocking stuffer for a new mom or dad, or even grandparents.



California Olive Ranch's award-winning, certified extra virgin olive oil will come in handy when preparing special holiday dishes. The pressed glass bottle makes an elegant hostess gift. It might sound shallow but I have to admit the bottle is gorgeous. Even before I tasted the olive oil, I liked it. Good thing it's actually very tasty and light. Something you won't mind having out on the counter so you can mix up an impromptu dip for unexpected holiday visitors: stir 1/4-1/2 cup of olive oil with 1 tsp. each of crushed red pepper, ground black pepper, oregano, rosemary, basil, parsley flakes, garlic and add salt to taste. Serve with crusty bread.



BOZ, The Green Bear Next Door loves exploring God's world and discovering exciting new things with his friends Drew and Gracie, their family, and all their friends in the neighborhood. DVDs available include Bananas, Bubbles and Busy Bodies (includes a Boz toothbrush!) and A WowieBOZowee Christmas. Both titles include song-filled stories, music videos, and lots of bonus activities designed to entertain, educate, and inspire preschoolers.

My favorite item from MomSelect was hands-down the Playmobil Advent Calendar. Roo's never had one before and she is totally IN LOVE with it.



The one we received, Unicorn Paradise, is apparently sold out in most places and is selling on Amazon for a whopping $79.99! I guess they are very collectable… anyway, if you're not familiar with advent calendars, they count down the days left until Christmas, from December 1st through the 24th, with little presents for each day. This calendar features a poster style that you can hang on the wall, along with a cardboard diorama to display your daily gifts in.




I'll admit it did take more time to assemble than I expected. Each tiny box had to be folded and the toys had to be put together, too. You need to do all of this when the kids are sleeping or out of the house so you don't spoil the surprise. Roo has had a blast opening one toy every morning. I was really impressed that she hasn't peeked in the other boxes or asked to open more than one at a time. Here's what the diorama was looking like on day 10:



We love Playmobil toys, in general, (Roo has a sea life park set and several individual figures) and I definitely see Playmobil Advent Calendars being a holiday tradition for us. Maybe Jasper will be big enough for one next year! I hope they have robots…

Disclosure: I received a Holiday Product Pak including the items mentioned above courtesy of MomSelect in return for letting my readers know about these holiday gift ideas.

Tarte Holiday Deals

I've been holding out on you, and I am so sorry. From now through December 13th, you can get 40% off of purchases sitewide at Tarte Cosmeticsand a free signature purple snakeskin card case with a $25 purchase by using promo code FFDEC at checkout, not to mention free shipping on all orders over $40, and, as always, free samples with ANY purchase .



So why am I sorry? Because the super-duper awesome tarte three carats limited edition mini cheek stain set that I received to review has apparently already sold out. I have long been a fan of Tarte's natural cheek stains, sheer gels that blend to create a perfect flush of color, even if you're not a makeup whiz. This set of minis are adorned with glitzy caps that make them perfect for stocking stuffing. (If I were you, I would totally keep checking for it on Sephora in case they restock.)



The pinch me mini cheek stain set isn't covered in rhinestones but it does feature three of Tarte's most popular cheek stain shades (tipsy-sheer peach with touch of shimmer, flush (sheer berry red and true love-sheer watermelon), tucked into a lacy purple pouch for just $25.



There are plenty of Tarte gift sets to choose from for the holidays. The limited edition holiday gift set is a great introduction to the brand, featuring natural cheek stain in tipsy (sheer peach with a touch of shimmer), mini glistening powder in sugar daddy (bronze shimmer), indelible wink in charcoal, picture perfect eyelash curler (the best I have ever used!), lash hugger eco-friendly natural mascara and vitamin infused lipstick in hatha (shimmery rose). Great as a gift or as a way to prepare for the oncoming deluge of holiday parties!



Disclosure: I received the glitzy cheek stain set to review but my opinion is my own and I have purchase Tarte Cosmetics often. 40% is a great deal- and they didn't even ask me to tell you about the sale.

Green Toys Recycling Truck

Have someone on your holiday shopping list who loves trucks? Green Toys has the perfect present- one that will stand up to the roughest play while imparting the importance of environmental responsibility. Seriously! The Green Toys Recycling Truck has a movable bed with a rear flap door that opens and shuts. Your children can sort recyclables using the cutouts printed on the box and you can feel good knowing they're playing with a toy that was 100% made in the USA out of recycled milk jugs. Even the packaging on Green Toys is, well, green: they are shipped in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties, and are 100% recyclable. That also means that they are easy to get to, with no assembly or batteries for mom and dad to worry about!



Green Toys are Phthalates and BPA-free and are designed without any external coatings, thus eliminating the fear of lead paint. In fact, the Green Toys Recycling Truck is designed to be maneuverable without metal parts- including axles! They undergo rigorous testing by nationally recognized, independent, third-party labs in the USA and pass a plethora of tests, including:

Consumer Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)

Consumer Products Safety Standard Specification, ASTM F963

California Prop. 65 restrictions on lead & cadmium

FDA regulations for food contact

Voluntary testing for no BPA (Bisphenol-A)

International standards EN71 and ISO 8124

Of course, the best thing about Green Toys is that they're FUN. Serious, kid-powered fun, straight out of the box. The Green Toys Recycling Truck barely made it out of the package before Jasper grabbed it and ran for the backyard:





Doesn't the Green Toys Recycling Truck look sweet with its cousin, the Dump Truck?



Disclosure: We received the Green Toys Recycling Truck in order to write this review. We were admittedly pretty sure we would like it since we'd reviewed the Dump Truck last year. We've also bought their Tea Set and Cookware and Dining Set for other kids as birthday presents. I feel pretty confident about recommending their toys to anyone.

Making Sure The Toys on Your List are Safe

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) is the industry trade organization that hosts Toy Fair every February in New York. Over the past year, TIA has been helping American toy makers make sense of the new toy safety testing laws and standards and now they are reaching out to parents to help us understand how to buy safe, and great, toys.



TIA has created two websites for consumers: toyinfo.org, which provides tips for shopping for safe toys and how to keep your children safe with their toys after purchase, and toyawards.org, which showcases the top toys in 11 product categories that have been nominated for the much-anticipated annual Toy of the Year Awards. The Conversations area on toyinfo.org features a Discussion Board where consumers can ask questions about safety issues and share thoughts about toys as well as information about Hot Toy Trends and my personal favorite, a series of videos called The Moms of Toy Safety, in which six senior toy industry executives — who all happen to be moms of young children — share their insights into selecting appropriate toys and ensuring fun, safe play in the home.



See how your holiday shopping list measures up to the 2010 Toy of the Year Awards finalist list! Winners will be chosen on February 13, 2010 at the 10th annual Toy of the Year Awards in NYC and John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and principal creative advisor of Walt Disney Imagineering, and Sam Walton, founder of Walmart Stores, will be inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame.

Disclosure: By sharing this rather pertinent (in my opinion!) information with you, I will be entered into a random drawing to win a customized package of toys and games for my family. You can vote for your favorites in the TOTY Awards and enter to win all the Finalist products in the category of your choice!

Oxfam America Unwrapped

I think the first time I ever really thought about charity and what it really means was in 1984 when the UK single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was released. It was all over the radio and MTV that holiday season and the American counterpart, "We Are The World", was released soon afterward. I was still pretty young but had never contemplated the idea that people could be hungry, even starving, somewhere in the world. Shockingly, people are even starving in our own country. How could that be true?

Nowadays, the concept is never far from my thoughts, especially as holiday season rolls around each year. Of course, there are lots of high-profile charities to donate to these days and many of them make it especially convenient to help with online donation methods. One of the most well-reputed of these benevolent societies is Oxfam. Established in the UK in the 1940s, Oxfam is a secular group (unaffiliated with religious or government entities) committed to fostering independence and sustainable change in communities all over the world- at home and abroad. From Wikipedia: Oxfam International is a confederation of 14 organisations working with over 3,000 partners in around 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice.




Oxfam has a great way for you to give the gift of charity this holiday season: Oxfam America Unwrapped.



You select from a wide range of charitable gifts to help those in need and your gift recipient receives a card showing the gift. You can personalize cards online or have them shipped to you so you can write your own message. It's amazing to see the variety of gifts and the change they will foster within their communities: $20 will irrigate a farmer's land for two months, $25 will provide one child with a school lunch program, $1500 will rebuild a primary school…



If you have someone on your list who is hard to buy for or if you're in charge of a corporate giving program, Oxfam America Unwrapped is a unique solution with a long-lasting impact. I think it would be a great class holiday gift idea, too.

Disclosure: “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Oxfam America Unwrapped and received a credit for a gift on the Oxfam site.”