Lookee What We Found

New Stuff Arriving Daily

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:17:00 +0000

Wow, has it really been since June that I last blogged? I tell you, that Facebook place has sucked me in. I'm posting there for Lex Fam all the time.

After being out of work for a week dealing with the flu that pummeled our household, I found my chair stacked 2 feet high with boxes and envelopes full of new products. I know for most people this is the start of the fall/Halloween/apple picking season, but for us its the start of Holiday Gift Guide season.

Loads and loads of companies send us press releases and samples of stuff they'd like us to review and we love reviewing it. I'm always amazed at the creativity and ingenuity of people who create stuff for kids.

I can't share with the everything, because then what would be the point of running our Holiday Gift Guide. But I will share with you a few great things that, for one reason or another, won't make the December issue.

The first is the "Shrinky Dinks Halloween Fun" from one of my favorite companies Creativity for Kids (Faber-Castell). This kit includes everything you need to make and decorate the cutest Spooky Tree. You get 30 pre-printed ornaments that kids color and decorate then pop in the oven and watch them shrink down to size! These things are so much fun. My kids love to watch them magically shrivel up in the oven and come out looking perfect and oh so durable.

And when they say it comes with everything, they mean everything, including the colored pencils, the hole punch and a sharpener for the pencils!

The set retails for $16.99. I recommend you buy it now and keep it for that day when your kids get the flu, but they are starting to recover and they are bored and you've run out of ideas!

Remember SPUD? Here are the rules

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:46:00 +0000

We lived on the best street growing up. It didn't lead anywhere so it didn't get much traffic and almost every house had a handful of kids living there. That meant many, many hours of outdoor fun. One of our favorite games was SPUD, but I had completely forgotten about it until I saw the new book "Let's Go Outside" by Jennifer Ward.
It's a collection of the rules to your favorite outdoor games, recipes for bubbles, instructions for things like building kites and forts, and suggestions for outdoor activities.
So here are the rules to SPUD as I remember them (assisted a bit by Jennifer Ward). First, gather a group of kids, five or more would be good. Someone is IT. IT whispers a different number to each of the other players. For example, if there are 6 kids total, IT whispers the numbers 1 through 5 to the other kids.
Then IT throws the ball up in the air as high as he can while he yells out a number. The kid who is assigned that number runs to catch the ball while everyone else runs away from the catcher. When he catches it he yells out "SPUD" and everyone else must freeze. The catcher then takes four giant steps toward the nearest player (yelling S-P-U-D) and tries to tag them with the ball. If that player is hit they get an "S".
The catcher then becomes IT and assigns numbers to the other players and it all begins again. Each time a player gets tagged with the ball they get the next letter in the word SPUD. Each player keeps track of the letters he has been "tagged" with. When he gets all four letters to spell out "SPUD" he is out of the game. Or you can forget that rule and just keep playing until the ice cream truck comes by.
"Let's Go Outside" is published by Trumpeter Books, is recommended for ages 8-12, will be available at bookstores in July and retails for $14.00. While you're checking it out, look for her previous book "I Love Dirt." I want that book just for the title, its priceless!

Cell Phones - Love 'em or leave 'em

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:56:00 +0000

I have a small vent about cell phones and kids. Please bear with me.

Cell phones have become an issue in our household. One my parents never had to deal with.
Cell phones have made life much easier for us, I have to admit, but they do have a down side as well, or rather several downsides.
I'm not a cell-phone-aholic. I do carry mine in my purse and keep it on all the time, but I rarely text, don't check my e-mail with it, don't have internet access on it.
My kids, on the other hand, LOVE their cell phones and this love has caused our family to reevaluate the rules in our house and the manners we teach our kids.
Rule #1 - we don't answer the phone at dinner time. Not the house phone, not anyone's cell phone and NO, we don't check out text messages while we eat!
Rule #2 - phones are turned off during homework time and at bedtime. I do not want to be hearing that little you've-got-a-text chime at 10:30 at night. Cell phones don't go with us to dinner at Granny's house.
Rule #3 - you do not have unlimited texts. I want my girls to learn limits and to have self control. I do not want them engaging in 50 word e-mail exchanges that amount to nothing more than "did so, did not."
Rule #4 - If you send an inappropriate photo of yourself to someone else you will lose your phone now and forever. The next time you get a cell phone will be when you are financially independent.
Rule #5 - If someone sends you a sexually explicite text you must show it to me immediately. If you do not tell me about it, the consequences of Rule #4 will apply.

And here is Laurie's List of Cell Phone Etiquette:
If you call a # that you are just SURE belongs to that cute boy you met last summer and the person answering it says you have the wrong number, do NOT send 10 text messages to that number. ITS A WRONG NUMBER!
Do not hit the resend button 75 times when you text doesn't go through. The person you are texting may have turned their phone off and when they turn it back on they'll have to deal with your 75 messages.
Edit your texts before you send them. Think carefully about what you say, because the recipients mother may just read that text and she may be calling your mother about the mean and nasty thing you just texted.
In our house cell phones are a privilege, not a right. I wish more kids would realize that and more parents would enforce it.
Vent over!

Keeping Busy

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:15:00 +0000

Things have been quiet here on my blog, mostly because I've discovered Facebook and started a Lexington Family Magazine Facebook page. So easy to update! Join us there so keep up with what's going on with Lex Fam. You don't even have to join Facebook to see our page. Just go to http://www.facebook.com/ and search for Lexington Family Magazine. If you already have an account be sure to become a fan! We'll be doing some giveaways there now and then.
While things may have been quiet on the blog, they are most definately NOT quiet here at the magazine. The May issue is out with loads of info on the best camps, dealing with aging parenting, and of course, great giveaways.
We are also just now going to print with our annual Field Trip and Activities Guide. It's geared toward teachers, homeschoolers and youth leaders, but moms and dads love it too. It will be out in about a week and you'll be able to request a copy on our website: http://www.lexingtonfamily.com/

CAMP FAIRCAMP FAIRCAMP FAIR

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:22:00 +0000

THE CAMP FAIR IS THIS SATURDAY!!!!!
You do not want to miss this event. In addition to over 60 booths full of camps, camps, camps and more camps you'll find booths representing activites, classes, dentists, pediatricians, churches, daycares, schools and learning programs.
Every booth has something fun for the kids to do while Mom and Dad are checking out the details, speaking to the camps directors, owners, school and health professionals. There will be hair painting and face painting, washable tattoos, arts and crafts, toss games and bowling, stick horse races and corn hole. And don't miss the giant slide!
Want to see your kids adorable face on the cover of Lexington Family Magazine? Then don't miss your chance to have their photographs made at the Portrait Shoppe booth for our annual Cover Model Search. We'll pick 4 kids who'll show up on our covers in the next year.
We've got live performances all day long from some of the most talented dancers, gymnastics, models and martial artists in the Bluegrass.
At 1 p.m. we'll be presenting the awards to the winners of our 5th Annual Writing Contest.
And don't miss the giveaways! We're giving something away every half hour including a bunkbed from Baby's Room & Kids, Too, the newest American Girl doll, Cranium games, Breyer horses, CDs, DVDs, books and toys. PLUS the first 25 families in the door get a 3-disc Combo Pack of "Bedtime Stories." This includes the DVD, the blu-ray disc and a digital copy for your mobile devices.
Whew! That's a lot of stuff! Don't miss this Fair!

Overwhelming Response to the Writing Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:57:00 +0000

I'm so blown away right now. I've got One Thousand and Twenty-Four (that's 1,024) entries to our 5th Annual Writing Contest! That's over 350 more than we've ever had before.
Over 50 teachers entered their classes including all 27 classes at Garden Springs Elementary. We also had dozens of kids who entered on their own.
The biggest surprise were the entries from homeschoolers in 12 states outside of Kentucky!
Now comes the fun part - reading all the entries! You would not believe how funny some of these kids are, like the little guy who wanted to ask Abraham Lincoln how heavy his cannon balls are or the girl who things President Obama is incredible because it takes incredibility to be a President.
The contest is closed now, but rest assured we will hold the 6th annual Writing Contest next year! I am looking for suggestions for a topic for next year. If you have an idea for me, please drop me a line: events@lexingtonfamily.com or leave a comment here.

Writing Contest Goes Nationwide!!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:50:00 +0000

The entries to Lexington Family Magazine's Writing Contest are starting to flow in. We're up to 93 entries now, with another 350 promised from local classrooms that I've visited. That's not counting the classes I haven't heard from. I'm thinking we'll beat our record high of 657 entries from 2007.
One thing that has surprised me is the entries from outside of Kentucky. We've had an entry from a school in Louisiana, 2 from South Carolina, and 3 from Pennsylvania. How are these people hearing about us? On-line, of course. Perhaps they read about the contest here on our blog, or maybe on our website (www.lexingtonfamily.com) or maybe they've found us on Facebook.
Wherever they found us, we welcome them to the Writing Contest.
There's still time for your kids to enter. Just find all the info here (just scroll down) or on the website. Write 100 words by March 27 and your child could win!

BEDTIME STORIES!!!!!! We've got 'em!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:07:00 +0000

I am so excited!!!! We just heard from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment that "Bedtime Stories" will be coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray on April 5, 2009. And even more exciting - Disney is giving us 25 Three-Disc Combo Packs of "Bedtime Stories" to give away to the first 25 families at our Camp Fair on April 11!!!!!

This includes the DVD, the blu-ray disc and a digital copy to play on your mobile devices. There are all sorts of special features included too, like a behind-the-scenes look at the special effects and of course, the bloopers and deleted scenes.

The Fair open at 10 a.m. on April 11 and we'll hand these out to the first 25 folks in line (one per family, please). So get there early, these will go fast!

Lookee At My New Car!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:33:00 +0000

I've got the coolest new ride! Its a sweet baby blue sedan, one-seater with the comfiest seats you ever sat on. Yes, its a little small for my "seat," but its just right for anyone under the age of 8.

It's the Sit Upon Car from Manhattan Toy, the newest in their line of giant, room-decorating, toddler-seating, imagination-inspiring, fall-asleep-while-cuddling plush toys.

We'll be giving this slick ride away at the Summer Camp & Acitivities Fair on April 11 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Lexington Christian Academy.

Keep checking here for more details on great giveaways, children's performances and FUN. Don't forget, its all FREE!

The Entries Are Rolling In.....

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:24:00 +0000

Our Writing Contest entries have begun to arrive, several by e-mail, some by snail mail and two in large envelopes with a whole class worth of entries. So far we have 39 entries and I've had calls and e-mails from several other schools promising another 300! And its only the first week of March.

Entries are due on March 27 so there is still plenty of time to enter. Go to http://www.lexingtonfamily.com/ for all the details on how to enter.

I visited a kindergarten class this morning at Rosa Park Elementary this morning to talk about writing and the writing contest. What a bunch of cuties! And they had such good, thoughtful questions (and answers).

We'll be giving away American Girl dolls, Cranium games and Breyer horses to the winners to get your kids busy writing!

Find us on Facebook!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:07:00 +0000

Lexington Family Magazine is now on Facebook! You can become of a fan of the magazine (we know you already are!), and get updates on our upcoming events including the Camp Fair and the Writing Contest. We've uploaded photos of some of the great prizes we'll be giving away and we'll let you know about cool things that will be happening in the future.

If you already are a Facebook member just do a search for Lexington Family Magazine. If you aren't a member, BECOME ONE! It's free, takes almost no time at all, and believe me, you will find loads of your friends are already there. It's a great way to stay connected.

ITS THE WRITING CONTEST!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:58:00 +0000

Sharpen up those pencils and warm up the keyboards, kids! It’s time for Lexington Family Magazine’s 5th annual Writing Contest. We’ve heard from over 1,200 kids in the past. We want to hear from YOU this year!

This year’s theme is “The Person I Would Most Like to Meet Is…” We want kids in grades K-5 to tell us in 100 words or less about someone they really want to meet. It could be an athlete like LeBron James or volleyball Olympian Misty May-Treanor or an inspirational figure such as Anne Frank or Abraham Lincoln? Or how about someone from your own past such as a grandparent you never knew or an ancestor who came over on the Mayflower?

We’ve got an exciting lineup of prizes this year, too. Our talented winners will take home either Chrissa, the newest American Girl doll, a beautiful collection of Breyer Model Horses, including the new Wind Dancer line of books and horses, or a huge package of award-winning games from Cranium!

Entries will be judged in three age categories: K-1st grade, 2nd-3rd grade, and 4th-5th grade. We’ll pick one girl and one boy from each age group as winners. Stories may be hand-written, typed or narrated to a parent to type. Please include your name, gender, grade and school on your entry. You may illustrate your story, but it will not influence the judging.

To enter, kids should mail their stories to Lexington Family Magazine, 138 E. Reynolds Rd, Suite 201, Lexington, KY 405017 or e-mail it to Events@LexingtonFamily.com by Friday, March 27. Winners will be notified by phone and prizes will be awarded at our Summer Camps & Activities Fair on April 11, at 1 p.m.

Info: 223-1765 or http://www.lexingtonfamily.com/

campfaircampfaircampfair...CAMP FAIR...campfaircampfaircampfair

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:26:00 +0000

YES! It's time to start thinking about Lexington Family Magazine's 7th annual Summer Camps & Activities Fair.

I know, I know, you won't be thinking about summer camp for a few more weeks (months?) but here at Lex Fam its time to get the Camp Fair Machine up and running. We've got to plan the fun, book the camps, snag the prizes, schedule the performances and get plenty of sleep while we can.

The biggest change this year is that we've got a NEW LOCATION!! That's right, the Camp Fair is moving, but just across the street. You'll find us this year at Lexington Christian Academy in their two giant gymnasiums near the back of the Rose Campus on Reynolds Rd. It's just behind Fayette Mall, and across the street from Meijer. The best part about our move? THE PARKING!! LCA has several large parking lots so there will be no driving around looking for a spot this year!

I suppose it would help if I told you the date: Saturday, April 11 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Keep checking back here and I'll update you on performances we've scheduled, prizes we've snagged and camps we're expecting. And put us on your calendar right now because we will have another one of our "First 25 in the door" prizes!

NO GIFT WRAP CHALLENGE - something to do with all that money you saved!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:23:00 +0000

Now I know all of you have been following my Challenge and therefore you have saved TONS of money by not buying wrapping paper. So take that money and get yourself tickets to the Lexington Children's Theatre's production of The Snow Queen.

I took my daughters to see it this weekend. It is amazing! The costume, the staging, the dancing and the music were all spectacular. Its best for kids over 8, but even my 15-year-old enjoyed it.

So call now - get your tickets! http://www.lctonstage.org/ or 254-4546 ext. 247.

Back to the Challenge. Our lovely neighbors, Mary and Tom, brought us a gift this weekend and they used gift wrap! But they did it in a wonderfully recyclable way. Mary made a "soap opera box." You know, those boxes they use on TV where the bottom is wrapped separately from the top so that you can just lift off the lid? Its beautiful. And you can be sure I immediately recycled that box for a gift to another friend. I think I'm going to use some of last year's leftover wrapping paper to make some of my own "soap opera boxes."

NO GIFT WRAP CHALLENGE - Don't forget you can WIN STUFF!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:54:00 +0000

All ya gotta do is post and you have a chance to win a bunch of cool books (here's a hint: Yum-O) from Lexington Family.

My friend Jill, the scrapbooker, shared a totally cool idea with me. She covered little coin envelopes from the office supply store with scraps of Christmas paper, bits of ribbon and glitter. It took her about 15 minutes this morning to make it and its the perfect size for a gift card and would look so cute stuck on the tree Christmas morning.

A couple of years ago my sister-in-law gave me a Starbucks card. The store was out of the cute little folders for the GC so they stuck it down inside a red Starbucks paper cup with a handful of coffee beans to hold it in place. I loved that idea. All you have to do then is stick a big bow on top of the cup.

I like this idea for kids, too. Buy them a sports bottle, fill it halfway up with wrapped candy, then stick a gift card to their favorite store down in the candy.

NO GIFT WRAP CHALLENGE - Lookee What I Made

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:55:00 +0000

I got crafty with some more pretty paper and stickers. These are actually tins that came with something else in them. A friend saved them and passed them on to me. Took me about a half an hour to do all three of them. Inside each tin was a gift card.

You can do this same thing with CD or DVD jewel cases. Just glue some old wrapping paper to the outside and slip your gift card on the inside. Hopefully, whoever you give it to will save it to pass on to someone else.

NO GIFT WRAP CHALLENGE - Drop what you are doing..

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:35:00 +0000

Seriously, drop what you are doing right now and run to the Salvation Army's Angel Tree at Fayette Mall. That's the booth where you pick the name of a child and their wish list and you provide holiday gifts for needy kids.

I was there this morning picking out names for our family to buy for and there were HUNDREDS of children's wish lists still waiting for sponsor. One of the volunteers working there told me they had more names this year because of the worsening economy. (Psssst - found loads of clothes at Penneys 50% off which made buying an outfit for these kids pretty easy)

The booth is in the newer part of Fayette Mall, near Dillards and they are open during mall hours. You need to pick out your kids and return the gifts to the booth by Dec. 14.

I also recently had an e-mail from the Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program saying that they were in need of folks to "adopt" families who need help with buying gifts this Christmas. If you can help e-mail marjorie.stanek@bdvp.org.

Now - after that public service announcement we return you to your regularly schedule CHALLENGE!

My first big gift wrap challenge came today as I "wrapped" all the gifts for our Christmas exchange with my sister's family on Saturday. I think I came up with some cute ideas!

The picture above is some old boxes that came with jewelry (yes, I'm a packrat, I save cute boxes). These were the perfect size for the jewelry I'm giving to my niece-in-law (is that a word?) and my great-niece.

The boxes were a little plain so I stuck a big white letter sticker on each box with the lady's first initial and added some little dots of liquid glitter. You could use stick-on bling, or even make dots with a pen or a sharpie. The little holly leaves were leftovers from an old sheet of Christmas stickers.

Now I have re-used an old box, used up some old stickers and didn't use a scrap of wrapping paper. This is an easy craft you could turn your kids loose on to.

I did some other cute packaging today too, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see them.

Happy Not-Wrapping!

NO GIFT WRAP CHALLENGE - Use what is given to you!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:27:00 +0000

Another great way keep from using gift wrap is to use what the stores give you! If a store offers you a free gift box, TAKE IT! Chances are its a very nice looking box. Talbots has beautiful sturdy red boxes with their logo embosses instead of printed, so its very easy to hide the name with a bow. JC Penney also has pretty red boxes, although they do have their name printed on it, you can cover it with a gift tag if you are clever.
I picked up a gift today for our long-time babysitter, who is retiring from our every-other-Wednesday Date Night gig, now that my oldest is a teen. I bought a box of chocolates to go with the gift card I got her and the store clerk at Godiva put it in a very beautiful off-white bag. No need to wrap this up, I just stuffed the bag with some pretty tissue paper I saved from last Christmas and it looks very pretty. Those pretty gold boxes they use are great to reuse too.
Starbucks packages their coffee and other gifts in really nice reusable gift boxes. If any of you are luck enough to get one this year, SAVE THAT BOX. These things are made to be reused so the Starbucks label is only on the tag.
I've got a challenge coming up. I'm exchanging gift with my sister this weekend and the gift I got her is in a fairly large box (think slightly bigger than a toaster). Its a kitchen item, so I'm trying to come up with a clever way to package it that goes along with the kitchen theme. Its too big to wrap in a pretty dishtowel, so I can't use that idea. Ideas, anyone?

It's the Lexington Family NO GIFT WRAP Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:01:00 +0000

I read somewhere (oh wait, that was in Lexington Family, wasn't it?) recently that we dump something like 4 million TONS of wrapping paper in our landfills during the holidays. Unbelievable! These scraps of paper are going to be hanging around for years!
And we Americans use 38,000 MILES of ribbon each year, also unrecyclable.
So I am presenting to our readers a NO GIFT WRAP Challenge. See if you can get through the holidays without using a single inch of gift wrap. That is my goal for this holiday season and I'm going to try and post a new gift wrap alternative every day for the next two weeks. Follow along here for some great new ideas and PLEASE share your own ideas.
Here's a little motivation for you. Post a comment or suggestion to one of my NO GIFT WRAP Challenge posts in the next two weeks and you will be entered to win a Holiday Prize Package (unwrapped). It includes the book "A Green Christmas" written by Sheherazade Goldsmith.
Isn't that a great name? So cool to be named after an Arabian Princess who kept herself from being beheaded by entertaining her king with a new tale every night for One Thousand and One Nights. Sure hope she doesn't got by something as mundane and Sherry. Surely not.
So my first idea for NO GIFT WRAP is actually something my daughter and I came up with last year. We wrapped up several gifts in little metal lunch boxes that we repurposed. This example actually came from a scrapbook company and had cardboard letters in it, but I've seen little lunch boxes like this at the dollar store too. We glued on some pretty paper scraps and added a few stickers and this made a great container for a gift card, a scarf, jewelry, or any other small gift.
Now show me your cool ideas!

Kid Power Rules!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:09:00 +0000

Here's another great toy I ran across while doing research for our Holiday Gift Guide (see our December issue hitting the streets Wed., Nov. 26). Its a line of trucks made by Sprig Toys that are totally kid powered!

Yes, I said, kid powered! NO BATTERIES!!! Your kids power the energy for the lights and sounds by driving the cars around. Now your kids actally get a reward for being active.

You can find Sprig Toys locally at Toys R Us.

The Space Shuttle Gets Even Cooler!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:40:00 +0000

So I decided I needed to buy the Mega Rig Space Shuttle for my nephew, who is 7. I checked out the price at Amazon.com and was suprised to see an option for "Frustration-Free Packaging" for some of the Mattel toys, including this one.

Frustration-Free? Sounds right up my alley. How many hours have I spent bending those dang wires to free the Polly Pockets from their plastic bondage? How many nails have I broken trying to pick the ultra-sticky tape off the backs of Littlest Pet Shop creatures?

So I clicked on the Frustration-Free option and sure enough, when the Mega Rig Space Shuttle showed up at my door is was efficiently packed in a single brown cardboard box. No clamshell plastic containers, no wires, no rubberbands, not a strip of sticky tape in sight.

Now my nephew (sssshhhh, don't tell him) can play with his toy the minute he opens it and not 20 minutes later when Aunt Laurie finally gets all the wires off. And ALL of the packaging can go in the recylcing bin. And the dog won't get hold of any of those little plastic pieces that fall off when you remove the rubber bands. He'll be so disappointed. He lives for plastic. He thinks Polly Pocket shoes are bubble gum for dogs.

I snagged these photos off the Amazon site so you can see how much less packaging is used. On the left is the toy, the center is the traditional packaging, and the right shows you what I received.

Coolest idea ever! All toy companies should do this. Are you listening Polly Pocket?

Right now this is only featured on 19 of the top selling products. Send an e-mail to your favorite toy company this week demanding more packaging that is environmentally-friendly and Mommy-friendly.

Totally Cool Space Shuttle

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:28:00 +0000

More cool stuff is arriving every day in our office. Did I mention that some lucky readers will be winning all these cool Holiday Gift Guide products? More on that in December.

I love the line of toys that Mattel has come out with this fall. I'm not going to show you the one that made the Gift Guide but this Matchbox® Mega Rig® Shuttle Mission is a close second.
The best part of this building system is that it starts as one gigantic space ship and but then it breaks down to 30 different combinations of space vehicles for kids to create. Its got cool accessories, like a space arm to grab things, an ATV and a UFO with a space alien inside.

I wish I had a little boy! Do you suppose my 15-year-old daughter would get mad if I bought her this?

It retails for around $45 at most major retailers.

Really Cool Green Toys

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:15:00 +0000

In my search for great stuff for our Holiday Gift Guide I have come across another company I really like - Plan Toys. This company takes their commitment to the environment very seriously. The wood comes from organically-grown rubber trees that can no longer produce latex. Their glues and dyes are non-toxic and child-safe. The packaging that the toys come in is recycled and recyclable.

I have a favorite toy that I'm hoping will make our Holiday Gift Guide in Dec., but there are loads of others from this company that I wish my girls had not grown out of. The doll house above is one of those favorites.

The cool thing about this doll house is that not only can the kids move furniture around but they can also reposition the 2 halves of the house and the staircases, very helpful when you have more than one kid playing.

You can see all the great Plan Toys at http://www.plantoysusa.com/ and you can purchase Plan Toys at loads of on-line sites including 2 of my favorites: http://www.iqkids.com/ and http://www.reallygreattoys.com/.

Stay tuned - more boxes are arriving daily (think dinosaurs)!

More packages at my door!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:09:00 +0000

It's Holiday Gift Guide time around here! More and more packages arriving every day with samples of products that might just make it in our December issue. While I can't show you everything that has arrived (that would ruin the suprise) and can show you some of the other cool products that these companies make.

One of my favorite new finds is a company called Boon. They make really slick looking, innovative baby and child products and toys. My favorite product (shhhhh, its a secret!) will probably make a debut in our Gift Guide, but the photo above is one of my other favorites from their line.

These Odd Ducks are just so fun! So much more unique than your average Joe Duck. These ducks are called Squish, Bob, Jane and Slim.

They are also BpA-free, Phthalate-free and PVC-free so you don't need to worry when Junior gnaws on Bob's head.

Check out the whole line of products at http://www.booninc.com/.

We Have a Winner!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:38:00 +0000

UTE! You are the winner of this fabulous scooter. Send me an e-mail at events@lexingtonfamily.com and I will tell you where you can pick up the scooter!