mhartman's Profile

"I don't. A generous grandparent is something a child (and parent) should be grateful for." Well said nellymom. I think teaching a child (or adult) how to graciously accept a gift is more important than the gift itself.

No offense JudiAU, but you sound a little bit sanctimonious. Are you children not allowed to play with plastic toys or licensed character toys on play dates, either? We can't always live in a bubble.

One of my grandmother's staple meals was chipped beef on toast and green peas. I distinctly remember drinking from the tiny glass Hormel jars that she recycled into kiddie drinking glasses!

If you want a cute decorated "thing on a stick" with even less effort, a chocolate dipped marshmallow on a stick is also a great alternative. The marshmallow is also a great shape to decorate, add faces, etc.

I don't think mixing white chocolate and yogurt would work either - I don't think the white chocolate would set properly if anything wet was mixed in.

I have the same room set up, right down to the spindle bed and I hung up oversized counting /animal cards from eboo with some raffia twine and clothes pins from the dollar store. Super cute, large scale and lightweight! And you can always change it out with their own art work, photographs or other pictures if you want.

I enjoy seeing these play kitchen transformations, but I cannot help but think about how darn HEAVY those old fashioned entertainment centers are. Most of them are made of solid oak. Unless it was free and already in my house, I am not sure the cost savings are worth having to transport one of those heavy things home, move it all over my garage during the renovation process, place it inside and then haul it back out of my house when my child outgrows it.

At what age do babies usually become attached to lovies? I've provided my 10 month old baby with a variety of lovies, soft blankets, etc. but she has yet to show any interest in them at all or "choose" one in particular, even the nap blanket that goes with her every day to daycare.

I've seen some classic and popular children's titles at TJ Maxx and Marshalls - usually around $5-6. They usually have a decent selection of board books as well, you just have to be willing to do some digging.

In addition to those:
1. Kazoo
2. Silly Putty
3. Play Doh
4. Spirograph
5. Legos

I sort of get a David Bowie/ Labyrinth vibe from the video and it reminds me of my own childhood when my sort of hippieish mother let me watch / listen to / experience things that were OK for children but not necessarily FOR children ... know what I mean? I think it can be great for kids to be exposed to things that are beautiful, creative, and just a little bit freaky or weird. I mean, when you think back on it, Wizard of Oz is pretty trippy!