When I first saw Green Lullaby’s doll cradle and block style storage boxes I was sure they were made of wood.  They looked so sturdy and classically designed.  That is all true too.  Yet each Green Lullaby product is made of corrugated cardboard.  Light, easy to assemble and Eco-friendly too Green Lullaby has created a whole line of  100% natural products.

The real rocking doll cradle is completely portable, easy to assemble and even has a carrying case to tote it with you to different places and spaces like grandma’s house. The pink and green floral design is sweet and guaranteed to please with its included doll mattress.  Even better is Green Lullaby’s unisex MultiBox, a 3-in-1 storage box, seat and learning tool.  Styled like those classic wooden blocks we all had as kids these corrugated cardboard boxes are perfect for play rooms, bedrooms and even outdoor play spaces.  Each box is recyclable and fire-retardant.  I love how each box has a cover and hand slots for toting around.  The numbers, letters and bright colors will inspire and teach your children during their hours of play.

Green Lullaby products are available at Oompa toys, Abe’s Market and Giggle.com.  Check out their portable cradle and kid-sized desk and chair too.  You won’t believe they’re  cardboard either.

From our friends at Mommy Insider

I think it’s a great idea to let your child design their own monster but if you are giving one as a gift, I’m sure just about any design will be appreciated! CurlyQ Cuties are great for any age. My 3 and 10 year old both love their CurlyQ Cuties Made-to-Order Monster.

Madelyn named her CurlyQ Cutie Made-to-Order Monster Noodles.

Where to buy: CurlyQ Cuties
How much is it? $25+

From our friends at The Mommy Insider ]]> http://blog.thefind.com/2009/11/curlyq-cuties-made-to-order-monsters/feed/ 0 http://blog.thefind.com/2009/10/crayola-lets-kids-color-windows/ http://blog.thefind.com/2009/10/crayola-lets-kids-color-windows/#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:00:11 +0000 Victoria http://blog.thefind.com/?p=8136

How many times have you told your kids that crayons and markers are for paper only?  About a bazillion, am I right?  Coloring the windows has always been a big no-no until now.  Crayola has created their own line of Window Crayons and Window Markers.

The markers available in regular and mega size come in packs of four or eight and all for under $6.  They contain almost 3 times the amount of ink in regular Window FX Markers.  The easy to use and wash off markers are a brilliant idea especially for the upcoming holiday season.  Using the markers or crayons kids can create tiny goblins and ghosts on your window and the next week turkeys for Thanksgiving.  The crayons work the same way and in a pack of five bold Crayola colors.

Both products are the same great Crayola quality and go on smoothly. They dry quickly and without smudging. They wash off fast and work well on mirrors, frames and car windows as well too.   The next time you have a school event or want to celebrate something in your family’s life give Crayola’s Window markers and crayons a try.  They will make a welcome addition to any goody bag or stocking this season and as the winner of the Parents’ Choice Foundation Approved Award you know you can’t go wrong.

Swiss Miss Cutie

One of Hollywood’s cutest and least talked about babies is little Honor Marie, the daughter of Jessica Alba and Cash Warren. She’s growing up quickly and looked absolutely adorable for an early Halloween!

We’re still waiting to see what Suri Cruise and all of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s little ones are going to dress as this year. But Honor Marie got a head start on wearing her Halloween costume out.

Honor’s parents have been taking her out to do all kinds of fun seasonal activities from pumpkin picking to trick-or-treating. The other day, daddy Cash Warren posted the above photo on his Twitter account. It looks like Honor Marie dressed up like a little Swiss Miss girl. We think she’s adorable! Warren wrote, “What do you all think of my little stink’s costume? Ha!” Love it!

Though one of Cash’s followers commented that he liked last year’s costume better- the hot dog costume! Honor Marie is one of those kids who will look cute in anything. A hot dog costume is adorable, but now that Honor is getting a bit older, we think something a little more girly and a little less goofy is more her style! We wonder where Jessica Alba and Cash Warren took little Honor Marie for early Halloween festivities.

Now we can’t wait to see what the rest of Hollywood’s cutest kids will dress up as this Halloween!

From our friends at LimeLife

When the pumpkins appear on doorsteps and the smell of mulled cider fills the air anticipation runs high for Halloween.  It’s time to trick or treat!  However, with all the sugar from the candy our kids collect it seems more of a trick on our kids teeth than a treat.  This year try something different and hand out tasty but healthy treats to the kids in your ‘hood.  Kids will love them and their parents will thank you in the long run.

Snikiddy Snacks- the all natural cookie snack packs are a healthy but delicious alternative.  Made with whole wheat flour and unrefined cane sugar these tasty trans fat free cookies have no preservatives, artificial colors, flavors or hydrogenated oils.  Take that conventional boxed cookie packs!

Be Like a Ball Game- Pretzels, popcorn, peanuts!  They all come in small, handy snack-sized bags and kids love them.  These high-energy healthy food choices won’t break your bank or any braces either.

Toys, Stickers and Stuff- What kid doesn’t like “stuff”?  Temporary tattoos, small boxes of crayons, colored chalk, stickers, markers and tiny jars of bubbles or play-doh are more enticing than we realize.  It lasts longer too.  Kids typically eat only 20% of their candy before they forget about it or parents throw it out.  Yo-yo’s, funny erasers, fake teeth and silly putty will stick around long after that box of Milk Duds.

If you and your family enjoy Jenga, you’ll proabably also enjoy this natural bamboo balancing game called Pandabo. Featuring  uniquely shaped bamboo sticks, the premise of the game is simple. You want to be the last one to place a stick before the stack tumbles. As more sticks are added, the bamboo panda becomes more and more unbalanced.

From our friends at Green Shopaholic

Eeboo, the children’s toy company uses original art from well-known children’s book illustrators to create toys that are vibrant and long-lasting while putting a new twist on this popular kids game.  The ‘I Never Forget a Face’ matching game is full of multicultural faces that kids can match up while learning about different cultures.  Each match has a child’s face beautifully illustrated in the country’s traditional garb.  The box features a guide about each face’s homeland too.  It’s not just a colorful and new twist on this classic game but a wonderful teaching guide about the world and its inhabitants.

There are other outstanding memory sets in the Eeboo collection all with the same style of illustrations but featuring various animals, numbers (we have this one in our house and it is very popular), candy, fairy tales and the simplistic-for-beginners set of colors.  That is just a few of the games.  The whole line can be found on the Eeboo website.

The Memory matching game is perfect for the over three set and teaches concentration, memorization and many other skills all while being fun.  These sets make great gifts too.

Obviously planning in advance has its benefits in a situation like travel with kids but having a few of the items below will also make your next trip a lot easier on you, the kids and your sanity.

The On-the-Go Potty- It might seem a bit strange at first but think about it this way.  You don’t have to go but your toddler does.  You don’t want to drag everyone out of the car or disrupt potty training either.  The On-the-Go Potty is tiny, affordable ($10) and packs easily into a diaper bag.  It also has disposable liners that are simple to remove and throw away.

Get to know the Classy Kids line of travel products.  Whether you are on a plane or train, dining outside or in a restaurant you can be sure Classy Kids has an item for your next trip.  I swear by the disposable bibs, diaper sacks and placemats.  Their products are biodegradable and great in fighting germ warfare.  I keep a set of the color-me (crayons included!) place-mats and diaper sacks in my diaper bag at all times.

The Gold Standard- Lilly Gold that is.  This Nap Sac ($70)  is drool-worthy.  It not only comes with a waterproof pad, two bed sheets and is a portable bassinet and changing table all in one, it is stylish to boot!  It’s durable, has expanding side pockets and it’s compact.  There are others on the market like it but they are not quite this caliber.

These products are just a few of the items that have saved me time and a case of the crazies when I have traveled with my kids.  There are loads of others from portable desks to tiny wheeled suitcases and more.  Traveling with kids has never been easier or more fun!

What do you get when you take 28 classic children’s books, load them up onto a four hour plus DVD collectionand have them all narrated by the likes of such star power as James Earl Jones, Mia Farrow, Laura Dern and Anthony Edwards?  You get Scholastic Treasury of  Classics Bedtime Stories.

This four disc set from New Video contains such stories from Curious George, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Good Night Gorilla, Corduroy and more.  It will quickly become a favorite in your house and with such a wide variety of these classics your child will never grow tired of this DVD collection.

I think it is just perfect for those upcoming holiday trips in the car, plane or train.  It works well for families with multiple kids of varying ages too.  Add in the fact that the slim cases all fit neatly into a compact box you are good to go when it is time to pack everything up.

Scholastic Treasury has done it again with yet another great collection of DVDs that will enchant your children and that you can feel good about as well.