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Easy essential baby gift ideas from a dad that knows

February 23rd, 2010 | 1 Comment | Posted in cool schtuff, dad recomendation, eco-friendly, kid stuff

great baby gifts
Whether you are an uncle or nephew, grandpa or dad there is always one lingering person on your shopping list that may haunt you. If it is that baby nephew or granddaughter that your stuck on, here are a couple ideas.

Go for essentials- onsies, bibs, socks, etc. You get the idea, don’t get the run of the mill stuff- you want to get something memorable (also not too expensive, from my experience with three babies- expensive does not necessarily mean ‘quality’). Get More »

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Hi-Tech Ant Farm

May 20th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in cool schtuff, dad recomendation, kid stuff
high-tech antfarm

Here’s a wonderful timeless gift for a kid. I mean really what kid wouldn’t love a high-tech ant farm filled with mysterious iridescent blue goo that the ants eat and turn into a maze of tunnels. And don’t worry parents, no queens included. The container has a More »

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39 Fantastic Lego Advertisements

March 17th, 2009 | 1 Comment | Posted in cool schtuff, kid stuff, kinda funny

legos_advertisement
lego advertisement
legos

39 clever Lego advertisement campaigns from around the world.

Vis a vis Speckyboy.Com

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Let’s all just Kongregate!

Kongregate header

Perhaps it’s a rainy day or a snowy one, or maybe the kids have finished all their homework and they’ve built every puzzle in the house or they’re just driving you a little crazy and the usual tricks aren’t working. Enter Kongregate, a website with over eleven thousand free games to play.

I understand there’s a time and place for mindless drivel and let it be said, I am a huge proponent of limited screen time for kids and parents alike, be it television, game console or computer screen time. Whenever I try to talk about the redeeming qualities of video games and the likes of, it’s as if I am trying to argue the nutritional value of Twinkies.

Depending on the genre and the game, there is some value in some of them. Personally, I am drawn to builders, multi-players, strategy games and puzzle solvers. One could argue that these have a fair number of redeeming values assuming they are well designed and executed, sure some may think I am stretching here but I concur, it beats watching re-runs.

Many feel like “sketches” of games with placeholder art, stick figures and all, while others have a very impressive professional ‘gloss to them. But when you get down to game play many of them are quite fun, dare I say (a tad) addictive. With titles like Shopping Cart Hero, Fantastic Contraption, and Monsters’ Den there is plenty to explore. Set the egg timer (otherwise, you’ll lose track of time) and have a blast.
Featured Online Games

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Cool Modern Toddler Puzzles

Cool Modern Toddler Puzzles

This 10 piece hand-crafted puzzle stands up to brighten any room. As beautiful to look at as it is fun to play with, this makes an excellent first puzzle!

Kids love to play with the pieces like a playset, parents love the puzzle as room decor. Made with lead free, child safe paints and constructed from plantation-grown rubberwood, an environmentally-friendly hardwood.

Ages 3+

On Sale at Monkey Grass for $25 [+ shipping], usually $30

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Otto’s Orange Day

January 13th, 2009 | 1 Comment | Posted in book review, kid stuff

Otto's Orange Day
We all had a favorite color when we were kids and maybe we still do. Otto’s story shows us what happens when we love that color a little too much, mayhem ensues! Written by Jay Lynch (among other things famed for his efforts on Garbage Pail Kids and Wacky Packages) and penned by award winning illustrator, Frank Cammuso, Otto’s Orange Day shows us what happens when Otto wishes his world orange.

Otto’s Aunt mails him an orange (Aladdin’s) lamp and he quickly finds that he has one wish, where he can have anything he wants. With this, he wishes everything orange. Once his mother serves him orange spinach, he starts to realize that everything isn’t better orange. Knowing that he has used his one wish he has to think quick to turn everything back to the right color. To save the day, Otto will need his family’s help, some quick thinking, and…a pizza?

Otto's Orange Day | Page Sample

Cammuso’s art is both stylish and approachable for kids new to the -indicative of comic books, while Lynch’s writing is clever, lighthearted and attainable for this young audience. I read this to my four year old and two year old on a regular basis and both grab it from our crammed bookshelves over and over again, and that in itself speaks volumes.

Sited & Related Links:
Jay Lynch & Frank Cammuso | Otto’s Orange Day
Jay Lynch & Dean Haspiel | Mo and Jo: Fighting Together Forever

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