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After reading a lot of information on products containing BPA (Bisphenol-A), I ended up deciding to replace all of my sippy cups. They were due to be replaced anyway as they were showing a lot of wear.

I started researching cups made of material that did not contain BPA. During the first stage of my research, I was quite disturbed. The cost of BPA free sippy cups were utterly ridiculous! It was quite obvious that some manufacturers were taking advantage of this scare. Some cups were as high as $17 a cup! Um, sorry.... no way will I pay that much for a sippy cup.

Finally, my search led to an old standard when it comes to baby products. Playtex makes a sippy cup called the Playtex Baby Coolster Tumbler. It costs a reasonable $4.99. The Playtex store is out some of the colors but a lot of other sites carry these cups. I bought mine on at Toys R US and Amazon carries them too.

There are more advantages to these cups. They do not have a spout. This helps train kids better for drinking from a regular cup in the future. Also, a cup without a spout is better for speech and is recommended by speech therapists. I was not sure how my 21 month old would do without a spout but I had no need to worry. He loves this cup and drinks from it just fine!

The cup does not leak. Now, we all know that if you hold a sippy cup upside down and shake it, a few drops will come out. That is true about this cup too but what cup doesn't? This cup is definitely one of the better ones when it comes to not leaking. Overall, I love these cups and so do my sons! If you are interested in BPA free cups that do not cost an arm and a leg, I highly recommend these!

Through Blog Catalog, I have met a blogger named Shirley. She is a very ambitious blogger with high ideals and goals to help children. Her blog is titled Proof Positivity and she sees it as "an opportunity for children of all ages to find their voice through positive news".

Shirley's vision: "For every child to have an opportunity to write or report no matter what their grades are."

She explains why: "A child sometimes needs to develop a love for something before they are motivated enough to bring their grades up."

Shirley's goal: "My goal is to put a studio in every school and for that, equipment is needed. I hope to eventually be able to go to my schools and discuss: Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How?"

Kudos to Shirley for her love of children and her strong desire to help them. Take a minute and check out Proof Positivity for yourself.

I was surfing around the web today looking for what I can buy my soon-to-be 3 year old daughter for her big birthday celebration. I checked out what Mason & Matisse had to offer. You should remember them well, as they are our cool Shakadoo friends who sponsored the awesome Cubano Chair giveaway a few weeks back.

I ran across this adorable polka dot dish set that I know my daughter would be crazy about! I know this because I bought her something similar for Christmas and she wouldn't eat on anything else for nearly a month.

I was even more excited to see that it is currently on sale! Now I can stock up and get her to eat well because she actually looks forward to dining on her own special dishes.

Here's the particulars;

• each five piece set includes: 8" plate, spoon, fork, cup and bowl
• high heat resistance and dish washer safe
• child friendly shatter proof material
• color will not fade, discolor or chip
• great dual purpose indoor and outdoor usage

Hop on over to Mason & Matisse and check it out. Made of Melamine, it is extremely durable. Mine have been through the dishwasher over an over again and still look like new.

With Easter approaching, many of us will be dyeing Easter eggs. You can use the basic kits that are bought from the store or you can get a little more creative.

Amazingmoms.com can give you some ideas with "A Dozen ways to decorate your Easter Eggs". Here is one way that sounds creative:

"Rubber Band Designs: Wrap elastic bands around hard cooked eggs, then drop them in food-coloring dye. Remove eggs, pat dry with paper towel and remove rubber bands. The parts of the egg covered with rubber bands will not be colored. Once the rubber bands are removed, you can drop the egg into a different color dye."

They also have ideas for marbling, sponging and waxing your Easter eggs. Read the rest to get more Easter egg decorating ideas. Have fun!

I am always on the lookout for something fun to occupy my sons that will also benefit them intellectually in some way. The latest activity around here has been puzzles. With spring coming, I am starting to think of things to do that involve more activity and exercise.

A mom friend mentioned a book to me called Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Toddlers and Preschoolers. I looked it up and I must say that it sounds like an ideal way to help your little ones get some physical activity. There are so many benefits to yoga and it makes sense that young children would probably enjoy this. These activities would be fun to do with my 3 year old and my 18 month old.

From their website:

Yoga Can Help Your 18-Month to Five-Year-Old Child Have:

• Fewer Tantrums
• Better and longer sleep
• Increased motor coordination
• Improved listening and ability to follow directions
• Better self-expression
• Higher self-esteem
• Easier relaxation
• A healthy and fit lifestyle

I just might give this a try. Maybe I could do my workout and my boys could do these yoga activities at the same time. That just might work!

When I arrived at my son's preschool the other day to pick him up, he just didn't want to leave. He was busy working on some puzzles and was very absorbed in it. I was kind of surprised at how much concentration he was putting into the project.

I decided to buy him some puzzles for home since he seemed to enjoy them so much at school. I bought him two puzzles that contained 25 pieces and he mastered both of them the first day. He is just three so I was rather impressed! He would put one together, do the next one and start all over again. These puzzles really occupied him for a long time.

At preschool, they have been talking about the solar system and now my son knows all of the names of the planets. He likes to talk about them and name them for us. On my search for even more puzzles, I found this wonderful solar system floor puzzle by Melissa and Doug. It contains 48 pieces and once again, my son mastered it the first day!

Working on puzzles help children practice many skills that will help them in school. Kidsource.com talks about how: "Puzzles in Early Childhood Education: Putting the Pieces Together":

"When children work on puzzles, they are actually "putting the pieces together" in more ways than one. Puzzles help children build the skills they need to read, write, solve problems, and coordinate their thoughts and actions—all of which they will use in school and beyond. Find a puzzle with a picture that has particular interest for your child, and you may help her begin to recognize colors and letters, and come to realize that the sum of parts make up a whole—a concept that will help her with math later on. By inserting pieces into the puzzle, children also develop the muscle group used for writing, or the "pincer" grasp."

Further into the article, they list how many pieces are appropriate for each age. Boy, was I impressed when it said that "Five-year-olds can handle large or small piece 18 to 35 pieces puzzles" and here my three year old is handling a 48 piece puzzle in one day. I actually think their age range guide seems a little low, but it made me feel good!

This sounds like a great thing to get your child's school involved with!

From The Official Google Blog:

"Doodle 4 Google gives U.S. students in grades K-12 the opportunity to design a doodle for the Google homepage. Students will be asked to draw a doodle that best represents the theme "What if...?" We ask ourselves this question every day when we build our products, so we thought we would ask the same of the future doodlers.

A panel of expert judges and Googlers will select 40 regional winners, who will be invited to the Googleplex in Mountain View, California, in May. Four national finalists will be announced as the result of a public vote. From there, Dennis will select one lucky student whose doodle will be on the Google homepage for a day in the U.S. This winner will also receive a $10,000 college scholarship and a technology grant for his or her school.

Check out www.google.com/doodle4google for more details. All you need to do to get started is to have a teacher or principal register your school. Registration closes on 3/28/08, and entries must be postmarked by 4/12/08.

So gather those art supplies. All it takes to enter is a drawing on paper using your favorite medium (crayons, markers, colored pencils, whatever!) -- and encourage your kids to enrich us all with their imaginative vision. We look forward to seeing the creative doodles that are submitted!"

Reports of sluggish sales by retailers are creating great prices for last minute shoppers both in stores and on-line. If you have money left to spend, now is the time to get out there and get those deals!

One such sale kicks off today at Gymboree. Their Big Red Balloon semi-annual sale is in full swing, so if you still need Holiday gifts check them out. Avoid the crowds by shopping on line, what a beautiful thing!

It is the cookie baking season! Many people bake cookies to give away as presents during the holidays. Sometimes people bake cookies just to make the season a little more festive around their home.

A great activity to do with your children is to bake cookies. It is a good learning experience for them and also a lot of fun. It is a wonderful way to spend some time together during this busy holiday season.

My favorite recipe site is Recipe Zaar. Here is a link to their "Christmas Cookies" which has 99 recipes for you to choose from! Happy baking! “Christmas cookies” 99 Recipes

Create You Squidoo Lens On A Shak Subject And You Could Be Featured On Shakadoo! Once you have built your lens, submit it to the group HERE.

Letter from Santa and Phone Call from Santa by ErnieElf

Santa Call ? Letters from Santa ? Letters from Santa Package

Three Great Holiday Surprises that You and Your Child will Love!

Phone Call from Santa is something your child will never forget and great fun for the whole family!  To quote one grandma, "I'm not sure who enjoyed the call the most, me or my grandchildren."  This is a limited time offer so Click Here to get started now or read more below! Letter From Santa have been delivered for over 50 years and become a great Christmas tradition.  One Mom had this to say " Thank you! My daughter got her letter over the weekend and was thrilled! She was so surprised at all the details and how Santa knew so much about what had been going on!"  This offer ends December 17th so Click Here to get started now or read more below! Letters from Santa Package is a personalized Christmas package that includes Personalized Letter from Santa, a Personalized Birthday Card from Santa, a Sing Along Family Christmas CD and a Personalized Postcard from Santa's Elves!  This is a package that brings the whole family together and will provide many hours of fun!  This offer ends December 17th so Click Here to get started now or read more below! A Great Free Bonus Surprise! Santa's Secret Village is a non-commercial interactive child-safe experience for your child.  It has many terrific activities that will entertain your child for hours on end.  Look at our link section below to learn more and visit the site!

Another Great Holiday Gift Idea is Buy a Star. This is a fun and unique gift idea! By the way guys it is very romantic! For even more ideas about naming a star go to http://www.squidoo.com/Holiday_Star/

To learn more about surprising your child with a letter or phone call from Santa, visit the entire lens by clicking: Letter from Santa and Phone Call from Santa

Last Christmas I bought my son a lot of Thomas The Train engines. He loved them and played with them all of the time, That is, until I heard about the recall and had to take them away. He was left with an empty train table to stare at.

This holiday season, consumers and parents are struggling to find safe and lead free toys. The choices are limited and often expensive.

I came across this adorable little train set. It is made in the USA and is lead free. The great part is that it is compatible with Thomas and Brio sets. The price of $36.90 is reasonable too. It is quickly becoming the fastest selling toy this holiday season.

Here is further product information from the manufacturer:

Little Engine That Could Wooden Toy Train Set

Featured on ABC & NBC

Looking for a toy train set that's child safe and made in the USA? We love Watty Piper's classic story around here, so we were thrilled to find this Little Engine That Could train set. This wonderful made in the USA toy is compatible with Thomas and Brio sets. Includes the engine, three cars, and red caboose.This is crafted just like traditional toys were made in the past, so you can bet it will last!

:: Authentically made to last for generations
:: Painted with child-safe lead free paints and sealers
:: Fine Hand Detailing
:: Handmade of reforested birch hardwood
:: Railcars are heavier than other brands

Made in:
USA

I already bought this train set for my son for a Christmas present. He will be able use his train table again and I won't have to worry about taking his trains away again. Satisfy your little train lover with this lead free train set!

If you think this pic is cute, you MUST go visit Sarah Jane Studios on Etsy. Sarah Jane's look is classic, but with a modern twist that goes well with nearly any decor. The pictures touch my heart in a way that is hard to describe- they remind me of soft, warm childhood memories. Her prices are extremely affordable, which makes these pics all the more want-worthy.

The first 50 customers to buy get a free Happy Halloween card, so hurry up and buy something!

[Image credit: Sarah Jane Studios]

I've been looking for a cute coat for HelloKitty. She's finally grown out of the pink fur monstrosity she got as a gift from an unnamed family member, so I can get her something cute for winter this year.

Enter Apples N Oranges and their Fairytale coat. This is adorable! HK took one look at it and told me she wants it, badly. Awesome. I just hope it's still in stock come payday!

My kids don't have a TV in their room, which is apparently a good thing (I knew being a cheapskate would come in handy!), so when they're home sick in bed, they're always complaining that they are bored.

Thanks to this list from Raising A Healthy Family, they'll now have something to do! It's a great list of coloring sheets and other fun stuff for the kids to do while they're home sick in bed. Genius!

I can't believe school is in session again. The summers fly by and now its time to get organized again. Let me tell you, trying to get four kids out the door with everything that they need is a job in itself. The biggest chore for me is making their lunches. It's not that I mind making them, it's just that I run out of good ideas and end up packing the same things every day. I decided to do some research and found a great blog called Healthy Lunch Box And Snack Ideas posted at Weary Parent. Here are some good  lunch ideas listed ....

• Tuna sandwich on whole grain bread
• Egg salad sandwich on whole grain bread
• Smoked or roast turkey breast on whole grain bread
• Lean roast beef on whole grain bread
• Natural peanut butter and all fruit spread on whole grain bread
• Whole wheat pita topped with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese (not the Lunchables)
• Starkist Tuna Kits
• Roll-ups - fill whole wheat flour tortillas with refried beans and shredded cheese; tuna fish; smoked turkey breast with shredded lettuce and cheese; or make your own combinations
• Hot soup in a thermos
• Fresh fruit - apple slices (drizzle with orange juice to keep from turning brown), small bunch of grapes, banana, orange slices, strawberries, blueberries
• Container of unsweetened applesauce
• Container of reduced fat yogurt - stay away from the ones with sprinkles or added toppings
• Fruit roll-ups or fruit leather made with real fruit puree
• Raw carrots, broccoli or cauliflower with ranch dressing
• Mini salads - place cut up romaine or other dark, leafy greens in plastic container with lid.  Place croutons in aluminum foil to be added and put salad dressing in small container with lid .
• Celery with peanut butter and raisins
• Mozzarella cheese sticks
• Raw almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews and peanuts (if there are no peanut allergies in the class)
• Trail mix made of dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries), raw almonds or other nuts, sunflower seeds, mini pretzel rings or sticks, goldfish pretzels, popcorn, etc
• Baked tortilla chips and salsa
• Natural peanut butter on whole grain crackers

If you have anymore ideas that you would like to share that would be wonderful. I am sure that every mom out there would love to hear more.

Awhile back, I came across this adorable blog about two moms who were putting together an on line store full of great children's clothing. They held contests and gave updates on the impending opening of their on line store and they also kept anxious with anticipation. You see, I'm a sucker for a good mom-run kids clothing store, especially one with unique designs that not every kid in my son's school will be wearing.

Well, they just recently got the store, Apples'n'Oranges, up and running and I am in heaven! They have the cutest clothes. I'll admit, they are a wee bit on the pricey side (as far is this thrifty mama is concerned, anyway) but they are so unique and adorable that an extra few bucks is totally worth it!

They really make me wish I had a girl to wear this beautiful dress. If I do get a female offspring next time around, she'll probably be in dresses every day, at least until she is old enough to complain about it anyway....

It's the dog days of summer and hardly anyone is escaping the heat. Going to the grocery store can be a nightmare for kids in the car- the AC doesn't reach the backseat as fast, seatbelts are miserably hot, and forget it if you're a baby in a rear facing carseat. It's ridiculously hot. Not that I've been riding around in a rear facing carseat or anything.

So, what's a mama to do? You can always go out and start the car to cool it down before getting in, but if that is not an option, here are some things to try.

1. Get the Cold Seat (pictured). It's a car seat cover that uses ice packs (freeze it in your freezer beforehand) to cool the seat down. Bonus: it covers the buckles as well, so little hands won't get burnt.

2. Bring along the cold drinks. If your kid is still too small for a regular bottled water, fill up a sippy cup with water and lots of ice. It is important to stay hydrated in this kind of heat- make sure you don't forget to keep yourself hydrated as well.

3. Make sure your car has sun shades. My kids tee hee at my friend Ginger's sun shades in her car, but it's always much cooler inside her car than mine is without the sun shades.

4. Bring along a wet washcloth. My kids love to suck on them, but a wet washcloth on the back of the neck goes a long way to cool a person down.

5. Stop for paletas or ice cream. One of the best things about the heat is beating it by eating a tasty popsicle!

What are your beat-the-heat tips and tricks for when you have to drive somewhere?

You know what your kids just positively need? They need some Russian nesting dolls. But not just any Russian nesting dolls, no. They need geeky Russian nesting dolls, like the ones pictured here.

The matryoshkus Russian nesting dolls have a beautifully simple design, and geekery galore, with the bit, byte, kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte and terabyte figures. Made from genuine Russian linden tree wood, they'll also satisfy your desire to give your kids wooden toys galore. They're a cool 950 rubles, which translates into about $33.78 in US dollars.

Combine that with these awesome geeky shower curtains and you'll have the geekiest chic-iest kid on the block!   

It's back to school time, which means you're going to have to make the decision on whether to send a lunch or have the kids buy a school lunch. Buying a school lunch is expensive, and my kids only like what they're having about a third of the time. The schools serve so much fatty, fried food that it isn't the most healthy meal, either.

Sending a lunch to school can be very expensive as well, if you are using the pre-packaged convenience foods that are marketed toward busy mamas like us. So what's a busy, but frugal mom to do? Try Bento.

Wikipedia defines Bento like this:

Bento is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables as a side dish. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware. While bento are readily available at convenience stores and bento shops throughout Japan, it is still considered an essential skill of a Japanese housewife to be able to prepare an appealing boxed lunch. Bento can be very elaborate, aesthetically pleasing cuisine arrangements. Often the food is arranged in such a way as to resemble other objects: dolls, flowers, leaves, and so forth.

It sounds a lot harder than it actually is. Most of what I include in my daughter's Bento is leftover food from dinner, remade into a pretty form. The most time consuming part is cutting up fruit and veggies into pretty shapes. Some things can be cut for the week ahead, like peppers and carrots.

Once you get started making Bento lunches, you'll find it's actually quite fun, seeing what you can make with food. I get inspiration from the Bento Flickr group, and from the Bento Lunch community on LiveJournal. Here are good instructions on how to make Onigiri, a Bento staple.

[Photo by jbox.com, Hello Kitty Bento kit can be bought here]

It's almost time to head back to school. Some of you have already had your first day and for many it is quickly approaching. It may be difficult to get your little ones to transition from days of sleeping in, cartoons and water sprinkler parties to actual school days filled with lots of quiet time, books, and lessons about new facts and skills.

Learning Horizon products can help make your child make a smooth entrance into this school year. They have tons of great products. A favorite at our house are their wipe-able workbooks. My sons love tracing numbers and letters, and then wiping them off with a paper towel to start the fun all over again.

They also have And a fun character like Elmo or Dora never hurts either!

I've been getting press releases from the Canadian shopping site StyleKid on my Home-Ec 101 email. I love the press releases, but have sadly been unable to write about it on Home-Ec 101 because it doesn't suit the topic. Then it occurred to me that I could totally write about it here, since it's actually on topic!

So here's what I've been loving at StyleKid lately (click pictures to largerize):

For some reason, I'm a disaster in the kitchen, except when it comes to Asian cuisine. Maybe I'm channeling Sakai-san from Iron Chef. The only problem with cooking Asian food is the fact that my kids are of the opinion that they can only eat Asian food with chopsticks. Unfortunately, that includes my 3 year old whose fine motor skills aren't exactly fab. These chopsticks would be a godsend.

My daughter, HelloKitty, is a total style maven. She absolutely loves the stuff at StyleKid, especially this tutu. She told me she wanted one in black, pink, and white. Not demanding at all, that one.

What, not enough bling in your life? Try the Bling MetroWrap. It comes with 4 color choices and 4 choices for embroidery- a crown, skull, dragon, and peace sign. Hip mamas rejoice!

There is also a great decor and furniture section. StyleKid is really your one stop shop for all things hip!

Want to do something special for your kids' rooms, but don't really have a lot of time or artistic talent? With Bug On A Wall, you can paint your own mural, quickly and easily, and at a very reasonable price!

The site says the murals can easily be done over a weekend, and they do not take any special equipment or expensive paint- water based acrylics will work well for these projects.

I was looking at the website and my daughter came up behind me, and started begging for the castle set. So it's fair to say it would be a hit with the kids! Go on over and check out  Bug On A Wall! 

There are a lot of great places to get cute baby clothes, but Two Blue Peas is one of the most fab I've seen in a long time. Using a combination of undiscovered artisans and already recognizable brands, the co-owners of Two Blue Peas have created a great place to find all the hip baby stuff you will ever need.

A couple of my personal picks are Red and White Stripe Smocked Dress for girls, and the Peacock Mod Bowling Shirt for boys. Another must-have is the Felt Fortune Cookies. Super cute! Head on over to Two Blue Peas and check them out!

I was peeking at our sidebar advertisers (we actually have some cool ones! Some of my other sites have some really weird advertisers) and I saw Affirmagy's ad. I popped over to their site and fell in love!

I believe in the power of positive thinking. My entire life has been turned around because I started thinking positively and have my own affirmations. Mine might seem stupid to some people- one of my affirmations is "I am one of the two coolest people I know"- but they really work for me.