meta-dad » simplify

Pay Kids Allowances Via PayJR. Card

Meta-Dad — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:30:46 +0000

PayJR.Com has an allowance system that is based on paying your kid’s allowance vis a vis a refillable Gift Card, specifically a Target Gift Card, branded as a PayJR. Visa Buxx Card. Parents can use this system to their benefit because it is complete with custom a Chore Chart and email notifications for both kid and parent.

Personally, I think this would work best if employed with a built in matching system. That is, what ever they earn on their Buxx Card will be matched in their savings account, this way they are learn about healthy money management.

Pirate Ships Attack!

Meta-Dad — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:19:02 +0000

Happy Squash Toys are all entirely hand-crafted by Jim and Jenise from Hillard, Ohio, they’re a true ‘Mom & Pop’ operational. They make wonderfully original designs, never from a pattern. All toys are made of poplar wood with oak axles and all paints and finishes are applied by hand and are lead free and non-toxic.

Seems that the legislation that was recently enacted to protect us the Consumer from lead-filled toys puts the smaller toy makers at risk. The third-party testing portion of the bill adds a costly leg to the toy-making process for companies like this and may squeeze many of them out of business. While lobbists and industry are busy raising fists at each other, we should be helping out the small companies that consistently craft good safe stuff. There are two great reasons to shop from a place like Happy Squash, they make unique & safe hand-crafted toys at a good price and we need to support these smaller shops anyway we can or they will simply disappear.

HappySquashToys @ Etsy.Com

Kids Mood Cubes

Meta-Dad — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:33:18 +0000

Planning on going camping? Or maybe you just need night light where there is not plug to be found, these LED Mood Cubes with colors flowing from one to the other soothingly may be the answer.

2.75″ x 2.75″, battery powered lights

$6.50 each [+ shipping] at Glow Source

The best diaper bag for Dad, period

Meta-Dad — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:30:07 +0000

I have three young ones and I can say from experience that each “job” has its own equipment, so to speak. Meaning, you have a bag for hiking, one for the gym and maybe one for work, but do you have one for all the diapers, wipes, bottles and creams that is better known as the “Kid Kit”? Sure you could use a backpack or a messenger bag or perhaps in a pinch you could use your wife’s diaper bag. But to be an organized dad and wear something that better reflects your personal style (as opposed to the pink flowers and polka dots on your wife’s bag), you will need a separate bag.

With my first kid, I could get away with jamming a few diapers in my back pocket and going on an adventure with him, now with three kids, two in diapers, I need as much organization as I can afford. The Diaper Dude (DD) brand, which takes the traditional “female-centric” diaper bag and makes it “dude friendly.” “Most diaper bags for men were backpacks, lacking in accessibility and functionality,” says Chris Pegula, founder of LA-based, Diaper Dude. This brand has star-power to boot; you cannot open a magazine without seeing a famous dad of today – ranging from Brad Pitt and David Arquette, to Matthew Broderick, Ben Stiller, Patrick Dempsey and more….carrying The Diaper Dude.

This line of bags has a number of options, both in design and in style. They have the compact Mini which seems derivative of the dreaded fanny packs of yester-year but it has been updated with a long shoulder strap which gives it a fresh look. For those runs to the park or to the store and back or the Survival Pack which will cover all the bases for you, right down to the matching insulated bottle holders, and changing pad for those longer trips. And yes, there is a backpack version as well, complete with a plethora of secret pockets and compartments for changing pads and bottles and such. And yes, they even have an eco-friendly Messenger bag. Style-wise and street-wise, Diaper Dude covers the bases of all the dad-types out there; the urban hipster, the metro-dude, the rock star, the hippy, the techie dude, the sports dude, the list goes on.

Going beyond just diapers, the Dude brand includes items such as an on-the-go first aid kit and a Dude picnic blanket. When your kid wants to dress more like Dad, Diaper Dude has created “Little D’s”, a kid style messenger bag. Most DD bags are in the $60-110 buck range, which is on par for well design and well constructed backpacks, sports bags and messenger bags out there, but you can find DD items as low as $10. Diaper Dude is sold at stores such as Niemen Marcus, The Right Start and Babies”R” US and of course at www.diaperdude.com.

Simply put, the Diaper Dude has the best options for dad on the market. Overall, I think Chris is definitely onto something, the biggest snag I have had with the bag is getting my wife from stealing it from me.

Eco-friendly Snack Ball

Meta-Dad — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:00:38 +0000

Kids and parents will love this fun, sphere-shaped snack container. The rigid form protects snacks from crushing, making the Boon Snack Ball great for travel.

Two halves unscrew for easy cleaning and the lid snaps in place to keep snacks inside. BpA-free, Phthalate-free and PVC-free.

9+ months

$6.50 [+shipping] at Belly Dance Baby

Time Honored Toys for the Holidays

Meta-Dad — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:00:31 +0000

When I talk to people about buying kids gifts for the holidays the conversation seems to swing one of two ways, toward whatever toy is getting the biggest buzz (heaven forbid Oprah mentions a toy on her show!) or commercial air-time or the discussion becomes a friendly debate about the most beneficial toys or “smartest” toys based on current studies or some recent research or article.

Lately though, I find myself rediscovering the magic of some of the time worn classics. You know the toys, you grew up with, you know – the good ones. Little green plastic army men, matchbox cars, alphabet blocks, Legos (don’t get me started!), Play-Doh, the list goes on.

Recently the Strong National Museum of Play had three more inductees into their hall of fame; the baby doll, skateboard and my personal favorite, the stick. Can you imagine your kid’s face when they open their gift on Christmas morning and it’s a stick from the backyard! Priceless.

A lot of strong ideas conjure up when you stare at their list of 41 inductees. If this list doesn’t do it for you, I highly recommend you popping over to the Holiday Gift Guide put out every year by the Parents’ Choice. Here’s something to jog your memory while you’re trying to figure out what to get you grandson, niece or daughter; [* in alphabetical order]

alphabet blocks
Atari 2600 game console
Baby Doll
bicycle
Barbie
cardboard box
Candyland
checkers
Crayola Crayons
Duncan Yo-yo
Easy Bake Oven
Erector Set
Etch-a-Sketch
Frisbee
G.I. Joe
Hula Hoop
jack-in-the-Box
jacks
jigsaw puzzle
jump rope
kite
LEGO
Lincoln Logs
Lionel Trains
marbles
Monopoly
Play-Doh
Mr. Potato Head
Radio Flyer Wagon
Raggedy Ann and Andy
rocking horse
roller skates
Scrabble
Silly putty
skateboard
slinky
stick
teddy bear
Tinker Toys
Tonka Trucks
View Master

Beautiful Blocks with a Twist

Meta-Dad — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:30:33 +0000

Almost everyone selling toys these days tries to tell us that their toys are educational. But these eco-friendly and non-toxic classic action block sets from Haba are the real thing. Children, playing and experimenting freely, inventing their own rules and structure as they go along or using no rules at all, will acquire and maintain new motor, cognitive, and creative skills when they engage in genuine play with almost any toy offered at TurnerToys.Com.

An explicitly didactic toy is boring. A toy with a predetermined set of goals, with a “right answer”, is not a toy at all. It could be argued that play with such a “toy” is not play, but work. An automated toy holds attention for a while, but pretty soon, after it has done its thing, a child gets bored with it and moves on (it’s a closed system, of course). It is the toy that requires thought and effort from a child, and rewards new efforts with new effects, that really teaches. There is a place for real, structured learning even in the life of an infant. But such behavior is never play and shouldn’t be confused with play.

These classic alphabet blocks feature real embossed (not just printed) letters and numbers. This standard set now includes 28 blocks, providing 4 complete alphabets, 3 sets of numerals, and 28 different animal pictures.If that doesn’t do it for your tots, try adding motion and excitement to your unit blocks with our rock maple ball tilt. Infinite variety of kinetic and dynamic designs unleash a child’s creativity in all four dimensions: length, width, height, and time. Excellent medium for enhancing problem solving abilities.

These are all simple and beautiful classic toy solutions for kids this holiday season!

$30-75 bucks [plus shipping] at TurnerToys.Com

Encourage Kids to Start Saving Money

Meta-Dad — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:14:26 +0000

There are a lot of great articles written by professional finance planners describing all the reasons why and how we should teach our kids how to maintain a healthy relationship with money. With that in mind I won’t regurgitate them here, rather I will simply say walk the walk and talk the talk. Meaning, be good with your money and they’ll learn to be good with their money. It’s a work-in-progress, I realize.

I have a little change bowl inside the front door of my house where I throw my keys, and with the boys I call it my piggy bank. It gets them thinking about the concept of money and sometimes starts some important conversations about the power of “change.”

My oldest has a piggy bank and is already eager to earn an allowance since he has made his first few purchases with money stolen from his piggy bank. Yes, he has discovered his own “buying power.” He’s only four.

BabyGeared.Com | Complete Collection of Piggy Banks
Large Chrome Piggy Bank | Kikkerland
Pretty Pink Piggy Bank | Kids Bank
Wide Selection of Piggy Banks

Mod Diaper Bag Option for Dad

Meta-Dad — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:30:33 +0000

On a never ending search to find a men’s diaper bag that caters to my non-maternal taste [read; no polka dots and no flowers, please], I have stumbled across the JJ COLE Essentials Bag. It has the right balance of modern tech and basic appearance (i.e. it does not scream, “diaper bag”).

Simply put, it’s a cool looking basic bag that can be used for Baby’s necessities, or not.

$35 bucks [+shipping] at ModernMimi.Com

Save Your Family Thousands of Dollars

Meta-Dad — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:30:31 +0000

Without really thinking about we throw away our hard earned money on things that are by-in-large minor conveniences – coffee, bottled water, cigarettes, etc. Here’s the breakdown based on recent reports of the top ten biggest daily expenses.

Coffee – Average price for brewed coffee is $1.38 a cup. Considering the U.S. average consumption is 3.2 cups a day, we’ll assume one of those cups is purchased on the go. There are 260 weekdays a year – that’s $358.80 a year on a modest Starbucks routine.*BTW – Women indicated that having a cup of coffee was their way of relaxing whereas a cup of “joe” for the guys, was inspiration to get the job done.
Cigarettes – Current national average are hovering around $4.54. In NYC they are as high as $8 a pack on the street. Pack-a-day smokers fork over $1,660-$2920 a year! Weekend smoker? Buying a pack once a week adds up, too: $236-$416 annually.
Alcohol - Depending on your “poison” and the mark-up of your favorite “watering hole” be-it the local Sports Bar or the VIP Room, we can set an average of $5 per beer including tip, buying two beers per day adds up to around $3,650 annually and you can figure twice that for two mixed drinks a day at the local bar which is a whooping $7,300 a year annually for celebrating the spirits.
Bottled Water – A very common vice for soccer moms, kids and dads on the go. A average bottled water costs about $1 at the convenience store. One bottle of water per day costs $365 annually – never mind the negative impact on the environment with all those plastic bottles. Buy yourself a reusable water bottle (preferably a non-toxic kind) and fill it up with filtered water at home or at work. Actually you could add a positive offset to this line item – recycle your other bottles at the end of the week. At a nickel a pop, and that starts adding up quickly!
Manicures – Surveys found that the average cost of a manicure is about $20. A weekly manicure sets you back about $1,040 per year. And if you indulge in a Mani’ and a Pedi’ expect an annual set-back of $1,560.
Car Washes – It is common to get a basic wash once a week here in LA primarily because of all the pollution (sediment) that’s about $12 per car or $14 for a SUV — that’s $676 a year. The average cost for a basic auto detailing package is $58, according to Costhelper.com. The tab for getting your car detailed every two months: $348 per year.
Weekday Lunches Out – $7-9 will generally cover a decent lunch most work days. If you buy rather than pack a lunch five days a week for one year, you shell out between $1,820-$2,350 annually.
Vending Machines Snacks – The average vending machine snack costs $1. Buy a pack of cookies every afternoon at work and that’s another $260 per year.
Interest charges on Credit Card - According to a survey released at the end of May 2007, the median amount of credit card debt carried by Americans is $6,600. Rate tables on Bankrate.com indicate that fixed interest rates on a standard card average 13.44 percent. Making the minimum payment each month, it will take 250 months (almost 21 years) to pay off the debt and cost $4,868 in interest, which is an average annual interest payment of $231.80. Ouch! And if you are trying to figure out a way to slip in an extra payment or two to make a dent on those high balances, consider taking the money you’re already saving by not buying that bottle of water or cup of coffee every day to make an extra payment or two.
Unused Memberships – Costhelper.com reports that the monthly service fee at gyms averages between $35 and $40. At $40 per month, an unused gym membership runs $480 per year.

This list represents about $12,045.60 per year in personal savings! This means mom and dad have the potential of saving $24k a year, outstanding!

Remember the “Monkey See, Monkey Do” Affect with the little ones. Children grow up learning about personal finance and money management from their parents!