My good friend Tanya will be coming for a visit next week and I can hardly wait.  We will be heading out for  a day of shopping and girlie activities.   It will be nice to leave all the testosterone at home and get some well deserved me time!  We are planning a day of shopping, lunch and dinner out, and just a little R&R.  Everyone just needs a time out from time to time, so I am greatly looking forward to a little “me time” break!

This year’s newest Haba wooden blocks are guaranteed to beat the television for entertainment.  Kids will quickly forget about lounging in front of the television and turn play time into a “block party”

Haba Stack the Trix Mix Pull Toy ($50)

This is such a bright and whimsical toy for your little one ages 1 to 6 years. It is designed to stimulate the child’s creative skills, large motor skills and spatial thinking. There is no right or wrong way to stack the brightly colored spools each with a color or unique feature like a face or a fabric tail.   It encourages your child to think creatively.  Then your little guy or gal can pull it around showing off their new creations.   I even found myself playing with it.  Haba toys are well worth the money because these toys will stand the test of time.

Haba Curioso Fabric Shape Sorter ($45)

Which blocks fits where? The Curioso shape sorter is a matching game designed for ages 12 months and up, that acquaints children with shapes and colors.  Each block has a special optical or acoustic element about it such as a bell, or a mini kaleidoscope that stimulates perception.  Each block has a different shape which encourages your little one to develop cognitive skills as well.  I must say that I am impressed with Haba’s quality and the blocks have such bright and fun colors.  When you are holding them in your hand they don’t feel cheap and are well made.  The boys love trying to fit them through the shaped slots and even love to stack them.  These will definitely be on my list of things to give for Christmas.

You can tell that Haba takes pride in designing toys that can stand the test of time and can be passed on from generation to generation.  Many of their products have received German and American awards such as Parents’ Choice, and Dr. Toy and Best Toys of the Year recognition.  Haba toys can be found at many online specialty toy retailers such as Maukilo.com

The watchery has a huge selection of watches to chose from at some reasonable prices.   They have a wonderful selection of Tag Heuer watches that I can only just drool over.  I love the tag heuer aquaracer. It is such a beautiful watch and most importantly it has a blue mother-of-pearl diamond dial. I am usually not a big jewelry fan but this watch is simply gorgeous and I would love to get a gift like this for our anniversary from my husband (hint hint)!
I had actually never heard of Tag Heuer watches until I visited the Watchery but now that I know I love their stuff. If the budget isn’t too tight I would definitely recommend a Tag Heuer watch for your special gal or guy. They would make a great Christmas gift or a really nice stocking stuffer and would be a pleasant surprise for a special someone in your life. Check out the Watchery today and take a look at their incredible collection of Tag Heuer watches!
I have always had a thing for watches and I own three, but would love to have this sweet little addition to my collection. I might not take it off.

It is amazing how fast kids grow in their development especially at the toddler stage. My two year olds are picking up new things every day and I am amazed at how fast they grasp things. They both already know their colors, and are starting to count and say their ABC’s. I know I may be a little biased, but I am impressed with my little guys.

With LeapFrog they make learning easy and fun! The boys could hardly wait to break these toys out of the box and started playing and learning right away! LeapFrog’s Fridge Words™ Magnetic Word Builder is such a neat toy! The boys love trying to fit the letters into the slots and hearing what each one says. They were even repeating some of the letters and dancing to the ABC’s. It has three modes of play which is great, because as the child grows and develops you can advance the skill level.

Fridge Words™ Magnetic Word Builder | Ages 3 & Up | MSRP: $24.99

With LeapFrog’s Fridge Words, kids can create more than 325 three letter words with singing magnetic letters. Three modes of playinclude : Letter Hunt, Word Builder, and Word Hunt. Encourage little ones to learn letter names and sounds, spell three letter words and replace letters to make rhyming words.

LeapFrog’s Learn & Groove Guitar is just as much fun. The boy’s love “rockin” as they call it. I think they picked this up from my husband. They both love to hold it and dance it is so fun to watch. I love toys that incorporate music and learning. Music plays a huge role in infant and toddler development so, kudos to LeapFrog for having these brilliant two in one toys. Another thing I like about their toys are that they offer a lower sound setting so it isn’t loud or annoying and the boys can still play with it. This is probably one of their favorite toys and I can see them using it for a long time.

I had to do my grocery shopping a little late last night. My husband was over at the neighbors house with the boys, on one of those big blow up water slides, enjoying the last of the hot weather, while I went off to do the grocery shopping. I headed up the street to Meijer, a frequent shopping excursion for us. It seems like, I should be setting up a camp at the grocery store these days.

I am usually a very fast shopper, and I tend to get in and get out of the place and home. It took me about 15 minutes to get the necessities and I headed to the checkout. This is where things always get a little hairy for me. This day in age, the whole idea of talking to an actual person has gone flying out the window and it seems the grocery stores are following suit.

Here I am, standing among about 35 check out lanes and only three of them are manned with and actual person. There are several weary souls including myself pacing up and down trying to decide which of these looks the best, in terms of wait time. Meanwhile, you look over and the self checkout lanes are packed with people, who were probably doing the same thing about 10 minutes before me. So I am standing in line behind two people, and one lady is behind me, and I see that there is a problem at the register. Some lady is saying something is ringing up wrong. By now about 25 minutes have passed, I am moving nowhere, and I am getting sick of the repeat commercials on the mini tv’s they have now at the registers. So I make the fateful decision to turn around and head off to the self checkout with my cart full.

I get there, and I step up to the screen and hit my start button and I start to ring out my 15 cans of green beans. When it all begins to backfire. I start to scan my green beans one by one, which you cannot just enter how many you have apparently, and the machine is stating that the weight of the item does not match whats on the belt. HUH?! So, the machine is already squawking at me and the guy needs to come over and correct it. Then after all that hassle, the machine is telling my stuff is backing up on the belt like 8 times. Finally I get my stuff bagged and I head out. Of course, I had to check to see where the lady was that was behind me in the previous checkout (to see if I beat her) and the person in front of me was still sitting there and the lady behind me was reading a magazine.

So I ask you….where have all the checkers gone? Sounds like a song LOL And why have all the wasted space for 35 check out isles…why not put in a massage parlor there while you wait? Someone needs to send them this sales pitch! HA!

I cannot believe that summer is almost over and we are quickly heading into Fall! I was going through the boys’ things and tried on a few pair of their jeans size 18-24 months and although they fit fine everywhere they looked like capris on them. So off I went to the malls the past weekend. I typically only buy Gap jeans for the boys and they were having a nice sale (buy one get one 50%). I have always liked their jeans and they hold up to wear and tear and usually are pretty soft unlike other jeans that feel like they have been drowned in a bottle of starch! When, I shop I look at tags and find out what the stuff is made of to allow for shrinkage. I love Old Navy jeans too but everything there tends to run on the small side. The boys are only in 2T-3T shirts and at Old Navy I have to buy in the 4T range, and go up a size in jeans too. I wonder why that is since they are a division of Gap. I love Gymboree for some things but they seem to be a little spendy to me.

So, the boys are set with 2 pairs of jeans for each, the obligatory pair of overalls (great for outdoor play) and a few pairs of sweats. I hope no one has a growth spurt or I will be back at the Mall…not a totally bad thing. Secretly, I love to shop for them and hate shopping for myself!

This was sent to me so I thought I would share! This shows how innocent little ones are…we live in a world so quick to grow up. Keep them little as long as you can is what I say!

Why We Love Children

1. A kindergarten pupil told his teacher he’d found a cat, but it was dead. “How do you know that the cat was dead?” she asked her pupil. “Because I pissed in its ear and it didn’t move,” answered the child innocently. “You did WHAT?!” the teacher exclaimed in surprise. “You know,”explained the boy, “I leaned over and went ‘Pssst!’ and it didn’t move.”

2. An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting into mischief, finally asked him “How do you expect to get into Heaven?” The boy thought it over and said, “Well, I’ll run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door until St. Peter says, ‘For Heaven’s sake, Dylan, come in or stay out!’”

3. A little boy was doing his math homework. He said to himself, “Two plus five, that son of a bitch is seven. Three plus six, that son of a bitch is nine….” His mother heard what he was saying and gasped, “What are you doing?” The little boy answered, “I’m doing my math homework, Mom.” “And this is how your teacher taught you to do it?” the mother asked. “Yes,” he answered. Infuriated, the mother asked the teacher the next day, “What are you teaching my son in math?” The teacher replied, “Right now, we are learning addition.” The mother asked, “And are you teaching them to say two plus two, that son of a bitch is four?” After the teacher stopped laughing, she answered, “What I taught them was, two plus two, THE SUM OF WHICH, is four.”

Hoohobbers has manufactured and designed it’s own line of children’s products since 1981, and they are made right here in the USA.

I just recently received their directors chair ($35) and rocking chair ($49) for the boys. Both of these chairs are great. One of the main features of these two chairs, which I really like, is the fact that they fold away for easy storage or transport. Both the director’s chair and rocking chair are waterproof, so they can go just about anywhere! They are great for camping trips, or for family outings where seating is limited. The rocking chair is extremely stable in that it has front foot pads which keep the chair stable while my little guys climb in and out. The boys favorite place to be is in the living room in their chairs watching Blue’s Clues LOL! Hoohobbers can also personalize for you with your child’s name.

Hoohobbers carries a whole line of other things such as crib bedding, diaper bags, Moses baskets, and more. Check out Hoohobbers, they have some really cute stuff!

I just recently received two adorable t-shirts from Kee-Ka for the boys. At Kee-Ka all of their stuff is made from organic cotton.

What is organic cotton?
Organic cotton starts with organic farming practices, which use seeds that haven’t been genetically modified or treated with pesticides. Pest control is accomplished through the use of natural predators and other natural practices. From growth through harvest, the process is monitored according to a set of Organic Growing Standards adopted by governmental bodies.

Is organic cotton softer and more durable?
Since organic cotton plants aren’t bombarded with toxic chemicals they tend to produce longer fibers, which yield stronger yarn and more durable fabrics. Pesticide-free long cotton fiber also feels softer, more breathable and luxurious against the skin.

I am extremely picky when it comes to clothing for the boys. I am one who has to touch and feel the stuff before I buy it. I hate clothing that has a chemical smell, clothes that are scratchy and irritating to the skin, and one’s that don’t feel any softer after you wash them. This is what makes the clothes from Kee-Ka so appealing. Not only that, organic cotton is gentle on the skin, there are no harsh chemicals. This is definitely a plus for young sensitive skin.

The boy’s shirts came in the cutest little boxes. Kee-Ka’s trademarked little brown boxes are made from recycled paper and are designed so you can easily mail a Kee-Ka gift to your favorite baby: The box lid has flaps that you pull out, moisten and seal to the bottom of the box. Then, you simply address the box, add stamps and drop it in the mail! They even tell you the amount of postage you will need to mail one in the USA.

At Kee-Ka they believe in crafting fashionable products in socially and ecologically responsible ways: using 100% certified organic cotton and low-impact dyes, as well as working with Fair Trade and Fair Wage suppliers around the world.

These two shirts have easily become favorites of mine. They are so soft and the boys love being in them. I have washed them 2 times already and they come out beautifully. The boys love to snuggle up on the couch and watch t.v in their diapers and tiger and monkey t-shirts ($24) from Kee-Ka. So sweet!

I would definitely recommend something from Kee-Ka for your special little someone, or as a special gift. For a limited time Kee-Ka is offering DoubleBugs 15% of your entire purchase. Just enter the coupon code DBUGSWEB at checkout. Offer valid until September 15, 2008.

I recently was doing a search for shoes for the boys, when I ran across the Eleven Collection of shoes for children. Eleven based in Portland, Oregon, is a sister company with See Kai Run, a children’s shoe company based in Seattle, Washington.

Eleven shoes are not just any shoe in my opinion. When I first got the Eleven trainer and the Martin shoe, I took them out of the box and immediately started “kicking the tires” so to speak. Since I have toddlers, they aren’t always the most stable on their feet, so I look for a shoe that allows for that. A lot of shoes on the market for their age range, are often big and clunky to me. So, when I took these shoes out of the box, I immediately noticed how lightweight these shoes were. The shoes are well constructed, durable, and the soles are extremely flexible. These are the features that I personally look for in a shoe for my boys. First off young children need a shoe that is going move with them, and not get in their way, and secondly a shoe that will hold up to their rough and tumble ways.

Eleven shoes also come in bright and fun colors, which appealed to me. I personally am not a big shoe person but I like things that are different. Eleven shoes stand out from the ordinary shoe. The boys have worn them out to the park and out to dinner. Both of them didn’t want me to take them off when I put them on.

Eleven’s shoes feature:

* All premium materials and construction
* Uppers and inside lining made with premium leather to provide comfort and breathability
* Durable and sturdy soles with superior traction
* Cushioned insole thoughtfully designed, making each step a comfortable one
* Easy on and off
* Sensational fit to ensure natural growth
* Sizes 9-1 for girls and boys
* Vibrant colors
* Intelligent, timeless, and quality footwear
* Classic casual, city-chic style

Sizing:
Eleven’s shoes are available in whole sizes (9-3) and are great for toddlers through early school age children (age 3-8).

If you are looking for a shoe that is different, well made and comfortable then take a peek at Eleven shoes. They are definitely a step above the rest.