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Designer Lisa Albin of IglooPlay in Brooklyn, NY has fashioned a beautiful kid-sized rocker reminiscent of stark minimalism of mid-century modern furniture. It is available in maple (clear or cherry stain) or a walnut veneer.
(Via IglooPlay.Com)
Tags: design, kids room, mod
Times are changing but I have found it is still hard to find non-toxic toys that are free of phthalates, BPA and PVC which are the standard for most soft plastic or rubber toys on the market. Of course there are standard wood toys and a few classics, but few true gems.
One of the rising stars is the Boon line which is surprisingly accessible, meaning, I have found their stuff at Target, as well as Amazon. Specifically, the Boon Scrubble toy is a playful lil’ set that will encourage the kids to scrub and squirt there way through their bath-time routine.
I will introduce you to additional non-toxic bath toys as I stumble upon them. Feel free to drop me a line or comment if you know of some great affordable products out there. In the meantime, you may want to consider dropping $8 bucks and replacing that classically toxic rubber duck in you bathroom.
Boon Scrubble $10 bucks [+shipping] at Amazon.Com
All Natural Rubber Ducks at Amazon.Com
Additional Articles:
The ebb and flow of toxic toys
5 cool & affordable eco-friendly kids gifts
All-natural teether for the tots
Here’s a great opportunity to spend some quality time with the kids, perhaps learn something about how computers are built or just geek-out with them and save a few bucks in the process. You can design and custom build pc just for gaming for a fraction of what they cost in the stores.
You can also get upgrade kits to increase your ram or replace your CPU. In theory, all you need is a screwdriver and you can save $100′s. The basic kit at Easy As My PC (which starts at $1,200+) comes with a 2.8G Core 2 Duo, 2G SDRAM and a graphics card option – that’s a pretty good start and it’s definitely a kit with room to grow. They include plain English (gosh, I hope so!) instructions with lots of illustrations and full manufacturer warranties.
Anybody privy to high-end PC prices know that with a little digging you can find some better bargains but the attraction to this type of package is that you know everything will fit and is properly rated for the motherboard and so forth.
Related Links:
Build Gaming Computer | Custom Gaming Computers
Easy As My PC | Gaming DIY PC Kits
Buzzle | The Secret to Build Your Own Gaming Computer
About.Com | Build Your Own Gaming PC
New moms and dads are quick to learn about the shortage of space in quality preschools and daycares throughout Los Angeles. We quickly give in to the lengthy waiting lists, the secret handshakes, the endless tours and the skyrocketing application fees. Before you send in that application fee wouldn’t you like to get honest feedback from parents who have children that either attend the school or have attended there?
You may be in luck, there is a website, The Savvy Source, that allows parents to anonymously rate and comment on preschools and daycares throughout the country. The Savvy Source is similar to the Great Schools website, which also has a wealth of information and resources for parents of preschool children as well as school-aged children but does not have preschool or daycare parent reviews.
Like any User driven review site, the Savvy Source is only as good as the User makes it. Meaning, if there isn’t a review for your neighborhood school your kid goes to, take a minute and do one. If the school isn’t even listed, leave a note for the school’s Director to fill one out.
Reviews include categories like “Quality of Teaching,” “Home, School Connection,” and “Discipline, Health, and Safety” to name a few. Each section is described by the School’s Director and is parent rated (simple 5 star rating system) and includes confidential parent comments, criticism and insight. The sum of these reviews will allow incoming parents to have a snapshot of what the school is like.
Sited Links:
The Savvy Source | Preschools & Daycares in California
Great Schools
Old Navy has voluntarily recalled their recent line of plush toys on concerns of the button eyes posing a potential choking hazard. The stuffed animals and creature toys in question are made out of cotton and have plastic button eyes. They come in a variety of styles, such as a rabbit, penguin and reindeer.
Unlike most recalls I have seen, Old Navy is offering customers who return these recalled toys to any store before July 1st, 2009 for a full refund, they will receive an additional $5 coupon toward a future Old Navy purchase. Nice touch.
If you think you own one of these (or someone you know), please follow the link to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Press Release to check the style number listed. If you do, you can contact Old Navy toll-free at (866) 580-9930, or or e-mail the firm at custserv@oldnavy.com.
Sited Links:
CPSC Press Release | Old Navy Recalls Stuffed Toys; Button Eyes Can Detach…
Old Navy, Customer Service | Recall Information
There is plenty to be said about kids having a healthy dose of unstructured play in their life. No soccer practice to run to, no piano lessons to fret about. Those things are good to do, but the unencumbered afternoon is something to be cherished for kids.
As a dad, it may mean having a few tricks up your sleeve to get them going in the right direction, whether it’s a handful of dolls or action figures or even a few sheets of paper. That’s right, a few pieces of paper. This is arts and crafts, dad-style. There are a number of good sites that provide easy to understand directions (video too!) for creating a number of classic paper airplanes.
Sure – as parents you sometimes catch yourself “upselling” an activity but paper airplanes needs very little selling. Being able to take a sheet of paper (preferably one that has already been used for something) and transforming it into a moth, stealth or ring plane is totally entertaining for kids, regardless of age. As kids discover the different tricks (loop d’loops and such) that can be achieved by simple modifications to their planes, they will be hooked.
For the more advanced designs, check out the patterns available at How Stuff Works. They have directions for planes like the FA Thunderhawk Paper Airplane and A7 Moonraider Paper Airplane, cool stuff.
Sited & Related Links:
How Stuff Works | How to make paper airplanes
10 Paper Airplanes
Best Paper Airplanes | 10 original paper airplane designs that fly well
Pat’s Planes | Learn to Fold Paper Airplane from Pat, the Aerospace Engineer
Zurqui | The DC3 of paper airplanes
Airplane Collectible Resource | Making Paper Airplane that Flies like a Real One [*check out downloadable directions midway down page]
Set your own world record with this design! [*PDF]
