Feb 11, 2010
Posted by admin on Feb 11, 2010 in Baby Keepsake Ideas | 0 comments
Baskets gift baskets are practical and popular gifts for baby showers. Although there are ready-made baby gift baskets that are being sold in baby stores, this doesn’t mean that you can’t put together your very own baby basket. Be sure to add the essentials such as several diapers, terry cloths, a bib, burp cloths, baby lotion and baby oil, shower gels and other pampering bath items. Aside from these basics, you might also add some unique baby clothes to make your basket more special. Go green baby clothes are all the rage right now. These clothes are usually made from all-natural materials so they are friendlier toward the environment.
Jan 22, 2010
Posted by admin on Jan 22, 2010 in Baby Advice, Baby Keepsake Ideas, Shopping | 0 comments
I just stumbled upon this incredible gift idea – The Diaper Cake!
My wife and I just came back from a baby shower where as the table centerpiece stood this enormous colorful cake which at first glance seemed edible but at a closer look, I realized was made out of diapers!! Amazing!
Baby shower cakes are hugely popular right now when it comes to baby shower gift ideas. If you are planning to shop for personalized baby gifts, then consider purchasing a baby shower cake. A baby shower cake allows you to give the future mommy plenty of baby essentials in one beautiful package. The contents of a baby shower cake varies so be sure to explore your options. Typically, baby shower cakes contain multiple diapers, a stuffed toy and bath essentials for the mommy-to-be (such as lotions and bath salts). Some cakes also include a set of kids’ clothes. Baby shower cakes also come in a variety of colors and themes depending on the gender of the baby.
Jan 4, 2010
Posted by admin on Jan 4, 2010 in Best Kids Toys | 0 comments
Rio Grande Games has been in business since 1998 and began when the creator of the company realized that the family strategy games once produced in Germany weren’t available in the United States. Now the company focuses on creating fun strategy games for the entire family to play and enjoy together.
RA: The Dice Game
The original Ra game was such a hit that the company decided to create RA: The Dice Game. In order to play this game, players try to score by collecting Pharaohs, floods, monuments, and even civilizations. They roll the dice and are allowed to choose which dice they want to keep and which ones they want to re-roll. As with the original Ra, disasters can happen at any times and can completely ruin a player’s strategy.
This game is absolutely wonderful for anyone who enjoyed the original Ra game and should probably only be used by families who have children who are ten and older, as the strategy can get a bit confusing at times if you’re not paying close attention to what is going on. It’s also a wonderful game for the entire family because it brings history into the house. The game spans 1500 years of history, from pharaohs whose names you may know, to obscure ones that you’d never heard about until you began playing the game. We believe this to be a great historical game for any household that has members in it who enjoy history and who also want to conquer an entire land based solely on their wits!
Fast Flowing Forest Fellers
With a hilarious name, Fast Flowing Forest Fellers by Rio Grande Games brings a little bit of silliness to the world of family strategy games. This game is all about trying to get ahead in the lumberjack world. Each player controls a small group of lumberjacks whose job it is to make sure that their load of lumber makes it to the finish line first. Every player gets to control up to three lumberjacks – the twist of the game is that they only get a handful of cards, and their cards have to work for all of the lumberjacks, making it necessary to plan your moves ahead of time.
What’s great about this game isn’t just that it’s perfect for children 8 or older, but that there are six double-sided game boards that are included in the box, which means that you can play dozens of different races down the river, making the game different every time you play. Let’s face it: we’ve all wanted to be a lumberjack getting their load down the river at some point in time or another, haven’t we? Okay, maybe not, but Fast Flowing Forest Fellers makes the idea of traveling down a river to deliver lumber an exciting prospect.
The 3 Commandments
We’ve all heard of the 10 commandments, but The 3 Commandments? It’s true! There are three commandments – at least in this game. The 3 Commandments is a very unique game. The game starts when one player becomes the High Priestess, and in this game, the High Priestess is the one who is in charge. The High Priestess is supposed to watch all of the other players while they participate in a religious ceremony. At the beginning of play, the High Priestess draws four cards that all have rules on them. He or she designates two rules as good, and one rule as bad. Then, during game play, the priestess keeps track of which player gets points for doing something that was on the card, and which ones lose points.
The fun thing about this game is that the cards don’t only give points for moving things on the board, but even for doing things such as taking a drink or smiling at the High Priestess during play, allowing players to have to pay close attention to what is getting the attention of the game’s ruler! This is a great game for families who enjoy games that have one person in charge and the rest trying to figure out what they’re doing!
Bonnie and Clyde
With Bonnie and Clyde, Rio Grande Games has taken Rummy, as well as the story of the notorious outlaws, to a whole new level. Bonnie and Clyde is a strategy game that’s all about earning points using your cards, much in the same way that you would earn points in a Rummy game. But this game is a bit different. Players are trying to make melds, which is three or more of a kind, using evidence cards that are the same color in order to score points. There are, however, Gavel cards, and these are what takes this game from being a simple card game to being one of strategy.
Card games are great for family members of all ages, but we found that this one is best understood by children who are at least over the age of eight, as there is definitely some strategy necessary in order to gain points in the game. It’s a quick play, taking under an hour to complete, and because two to four players can play at a time, it’s a great addition to any family game night. While we do wish that there were a bit more mystery in the game, it’s definitely a solid card game.
Burger Joint
Who doesn’t love a burger and fries? Rio Grande Games has taken the love for burgers and fries and has created a strategic game that is all about earning victory points through owning restaurants. Players start by owning one basic and two advanced restaurants on their own board, which is known as a development board. One player owns a chain of burger joints, while the other owns a chain of pizza joints. Players need to share their available resources but while the player needs to have all of the resources they can get, both players need different things, making it necessary to use your head to figure out what you need and what you can get from the other player.
Being only a two player game takes this down a notch in our eyes, as most families have more than two members in it, and it’s really only a game for children who are over twelve. Because, however, it takes only about a half an hour to play, it is definitely possible for two players to play for awhile and then to switch off to two more. This is a very unique game that is actually much more difficult to win than it first seems.
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Jan 4, 2010
Posted by admin on Jan 4, 2010 in Best Kids Toys | 0 comments
Large families, in general, have it tough. They have all the problems that any parent has, multiplied by a large number. Bigger families can be especially tough when kids are still very young and close in age, particularly in the case of twins or multiples. One of the many problems that beset larger families is that so many of the hottest toys are designed with only one child in mind. While there’s nothing wrong with this in general, in can often lead to a hassle for those who have two, three, or even more children to entertain. For families who often find themselves in this particular predicament, one great solution is the Step2 Choo Choo Wagon.
Unlike other toys that seem specifically built for only one kid, it is exactly the opposite—it was designed with multiple children in mind. Where other wagons have room for one child to get a ride, or two at most, this particular toy has the capacity to carry as many as five kids all at the same time. That’s because this particular wagon is built of modular “cars” that can be coupled or uncoupled. This innovation makes it easy to see why this is one of the most popular toys for families who have multiple kids to entertain. This way, instead of needing one parent to pull each child, a single mom or dad can give a ride to all their kids all at once.
The secret to the success of the Step2 Choo Choo Wagon is modular packaging. The actual wagon itself comes with two cars. Then, parents can choose to purchase other Choo Choo Cars to add to their train as they need. This way they can customize the toy, and purchase only as much wagon as they really need, while still guaranteeing that there’s plenty of room. There’s even an extra storage car that you can purchase to help you tote along all the things you and your train might need. This product makes trips to the park and other similar places fun and even easy, which make this one of the best toys 2010.
It should be noted though that each car has an intended weight limit of 50 pounds. While this might not seem like much, this means that if you have a full train connected, you could have more than 250 pounds to pull around. While this may seem like quite a lot, those who are used to dealing with having that many children to move around will probably still find that pulling the cart is by far the easiest and most fun way to move their family around. All in all, this doesn’t detract this from being one of the top toys 2010, but it is worth noting.
In general though, we found that kids loved taking a ride on the Step2 Choo Choo Wagon, which in the end really makes this one of the greatest toys for this situation. If you’ve got a large family to move and entertain, you’ll no doubt be glad to find out how much they enjoy riding on their very own choo choo train, no matter where they end up going.
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Jan 3, 2010
Posted by admin on Jan 3, 2010 in Parenting | 0 comments
We want our children to learn to speak and communicate. We want them to become independent thinkers. We also want them, someday, to stand on their own. Well, believe it or not, these are some of the key factors to explain why some children argue with their parents. According to the Department of Families, “arguments between brothers and sisters are one of the ways that children learn to respect other people’s belongings and feelings.” Children are just like adults. We like to present our ideas and sometimes argue to express our opinions or points of view. Children, however, are just beginning to learn how to argue without being disrespectful. Below are some pointers to help parents teach their child how to share their thoughts without offending others.
- Do not argue with your child. It’s that’s simple. An argument can only occur if you let one occur.
- Many arguments can be avoided when you give the child an option. For example: “You can either empty the dishwasher or take out the trash.”
- Treat your child and yourself with respect. Be objective when you speak and try to use fewer words. For example: “I need your help. Your job is to pick up your toys. Please begin now.” Avoid statements or questions like: “Can you” or “Do you want to pick up your toys now.”
- Teach your child the difference between debate and arguments. Debates allow two people to share their points of view without offending others and leaving one person a winner and another a loser. Arguments end with a winner and a loser. Teach your child what points of view or opinions are debatable in your home. If your child says, “Mom, I’m tired of doing dishes.” The parent can respond by saying, “That’s fine. It’s a good time to change chores. You may pick between feeding the dog or dusting this week.”
- Use simple body and facial language instead of words. Simple body and facial language includes: Looking at your child and show the face of patience. Your face should show that you are not angry, but you are also not amused.
- Sit down with your child and let the child know the negative consequences that they will receive if they argue with a parent. Set the consequence ahead of time and stick to the consequence. It’s appropriate to let children know that you do not want an argument as a warning before providing the consequence. Remember the first example provided above.
- You may provide incentives. However, do not over use this strategy or you will be teaching the child that rewards come after each request. “You may play with your friends when you are done doing the dishes.”
- Encourage and teach your child to ask for permission. This will prevent many arguments.
- Prepare yourself for the fact that your child will be making more requests that may lead to future arguments. To find out if your child’s request is normal for his or her age group, ask a teacher, youth group leader, coach or other adults who have many years of experience working with children to find out if their request is normal.
- Let your child know that making a request should be done in private or at home. Some parents, for example, tell their child that if they ask to have a friend sleep over in front of the friend that their request will automatically be denied.
Note: Children who have chronic or ongoing behavioral problems and arguments that lead to anger, violence or other fear inducing tactics may need to be assessed by a trained professional. Usually these behaviors should be diagnosed by a psychiatrist or other medical professionals. You may also obtain assistance from a school psychologist who may provide some insights and resource information.
Scott Wardell is a contributing blogger for Empowering Parents. Scott is also the creator of Scottcounseling.com.
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