Toy Review & Giveaway: Edushape Blocks

If you'd like your own set of Edushape blocks, a free set goes to a lucky winner. Leave a comment or send it to writetoly@gmail.com by Christmas and tell us about the most memorable holiday gift you received as a child. If your story pulls on our heartstrings, we'll send you a new set.

This review is made possible by Toys and Games Online.

When Kai saw the bag filled with colorful blocks, he ditched the ornament he was playing with. Kai took each foam block out one by one and spread them across the floor. He wasn't quite sure what to do at first. I showed him him to layer each one on top of the other and he caught on quickly. Here are a couple of things we built together:








Each of these structures, he knocked down and may have been disappointed that there was no crashing sound like with wooden blocks.

Initial Playing Time: 8:45 AM-8:53AM

Before his afternoon nap, he picked up one of the larger red pieces with a groove in the middle. It became his telephone in which he conducted in baby language for another ten minutes. Ahh...double usage.

As far as the playing time, there are very few toys that hold his interest beyond ten minutes. These blocks seem to be a solid and safe addition. I do think as Kai becomes older, he may become more creative with them.

Overall rating: b+

If you'd like your own set of Edushape blocks, a free set goes to a lucky winner. Leave a comment or send it to writetoly@gmail.com by Christmas and tell us about the most memorable holiday gift you received as a child. If your story pulls on our heartstrings, we'll send you a new set.

To discover more toys, checkout online toys.

Holiday Cheer & Lights: Thompson Ave., Alameda

Kai was fascinated when we drove along this illuminated street. His mouth was wide open in total awe and kept saying "wow".

Cheers to the Thompson Ave.. residents for creating this world of imagination for everyone to enjoy.

Winter Warm Food

We going through some serious winter chill in the Bay Area. Seriously it even snowed on Mt. Diablo.

Last night we discovered a great way to stay warm in our old Victorian home by cooking lots of hearty and hot foods.

With some leftover crab and chicken andouille sausage, I was inspired to make gumbo. It turned out pretty scrumptious.

J made two pizzas with Trader Joe’s dough:

Pizza 1: Spinach, Red onions, and Tomato with Asiago and Parmesan Cheese
Pizza 2: Pepperoni, red onions, and marinara sauce sprinkled with Asiago

Baby Kai tried out his culinary skills using a whisk and mixing bowl creating horchata with vanilla rice dream and cinnamon. It was so yummy he drank it right out of the bowl.

Cheers to cold weather and good food!

Upcoming Toy Giveaway and Review

The big holiday is three weeks away, and you’re probably wondering what to buy your kids. If you’re turned off by malls like me, why not check out online toys? Not only do you save on gas and avoid confrontations in the packed parking lots, there is a larger selection online.

The week of December 15th, Kai and I will be reviewing the Edushape/Educolor Toy Block Set from Toys and Games Online. For our readers, you’ll also have a chance to win the Toy Block set too. In the meantime, browse around and let us know if there are other fun learning toys you recommend. Cheers!

Best Holiday Stockings

Silly, not pantyhose. I’m talking about the kind you stuff with little old school presents like Slinkys and chocolate Santas. When Chococat lived with us, I even had a stocking for him filled with mini cans of wet food and cat nip. If you’re like me and aren’t satisfied with just the ordinary stockings found at the drug store, check these out:

Indie Stockings

Wooly Wooly at Etsy offers an eco friendly stocking:




Ririkrak at Estsy also has darling eco spun felt stockings:


For dog fans, this stocking was handmade in Nepal: Global Exchange:




Big Box Stockings

Target offers cute monogrammed stockings for $9.00:



Ikea stockings are chic and cheap at $2.99:



Mine are personally from Ikea 06 because they were cute and cheap. I have to glitz them out over the weekend and I’ll take a photo once they’re done 

Many Thanks!

after 151 posts and 17 months of motherhood
i'm still here writing away because of you

big hug and happy thanksgiving.

Southwest Airlines…Off My List for Now

As the big travel season is nearing us, you may want to consider other airlines.

I used to fly Southwest a lot. I appreciated the cheap tickets, the in- flight magazine, and efficient service. However, I’m starting to think that maybe Southwest would rather fill their planes with childless passengers.

I was surprised that SW no longer does pre-boarding for families. When I asked a SW clerk, she said they stopped doing pre-boarding due to complaints from folks flying without kids.

It doesn’t stop there. Two weeks ago, a co-worker of mine who I’ll call Rosie flew with her twin boys from Oakland to Los Angeles. The returning flight was unpleasant and a bit embarrassing. This was Rosie’s first time flying with her two boys.

Here are her words:

The boys are 20 months old and we traveled with my 14 year-old niece and Luis. I realized afterwards that the flight attendant did keep an eye on us right from the beginning -- as soon as we sat down, she hovered over the boys and me as I changed their diapers. She patiently waited in the seat behind us as the plane filled towards the end then presumed that I did not buy the boys a seat. She said, "since you did not pay for the seat, one child has to be held with the other adult in another aisle." I cooperated with the attendant as I shuffled Aaron, who resisted, to Luis on the next aisle. Aaron cried for about ten minutes before we took off then just before taking off, I got both the boys on my lap to calm them down. I was going to give Luis one boy right back as the attendant came and scolded us for having the two boys on my citing the FAA rules this and FAA rules that. Never did she want to help and comfort us. The surrounding passengers sympathized for us and showed their support with smiles and even offered their toys to comfort the boys. As we got off the plane, the flight attendant referred us to the security officer for yet another lecture on the rules. This time they accused us of switching babies during the landing and we confirmed that we did not, that we each held one boy as we landed. Luis was firm and reiterated that we know the rules and that they should not accuse us of such things unless they really saw us.


Ironically just a month ago, another mother was kicked off a SW plane for having a loud two year old. For Pete's sake, babies will cry and babies will fuss. But they're not a threat to anyone on the plane. Pass out headsets to folks who want to drown out the crying...offer support....do something other than making mothers feel bad for traveling with a child.

I’m officially writing SW off my list. SW can continue their policies, but parents will definitely look for friendly skies elsewhere.

Rethink Water

After watching Flow, a documentary that examines water politics, I’ve been thinking about my water consumption a lot more. I find myself being thankful that baby Kai has clean water to drink. Sure, we all had to stop watering lawns due to the California drought, but the issue of water conservation is so much deeper than that.

Did anyone see the recent commercial by Charity:Water where American moms are standing in line trying to collect water in a barrel? One mother pours the brown dusty water into her child’s glass. The tag line, “Imagine drinking this”. It’s powerful and you realize that we are spoiled. How many times have you left unfinished water out on the counter? I do it all the time because water comes out of our faucets in our homes. In many parts of the world, young children have to walk miles barefoot in the hot sun to collect clean water. Even when they arrive, they have no idea what time the faucet will turn on or if there will be enough water for them. Most of the time, the water is not free either. Imagine that.

It’s easy to take water for granted. I do.

Interesting statistics from the Flow website:

• Of the 6 billion people on earth, 1.1 billion do not have access to safe, clean drinking water.
(www.charitywater.org)
• While the average American uses 150 gallons of water per day, those in developing countries cannot find five.
(www.charitywater.org)
• The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.
(www.water.org)
• Water is a $400 billion dollar global industry; the third largest behind electricity and oil.
CBS News, FLOW.
• Californiaʼs water supply is running out – it has about 20 years of water left in the state.
Maude Barlow, author of Blue Covenant and co-author of Blue Gold, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians, FLOW.
• There are over 116,000 human-made chemicals that are finding their way into public water supply systems.
William Marks, author of Water Voices from Around the World, FLOW.
• In Bolivia nearly one out of every ten children will die before the age of five. Most of those deaths are related to illnesses that come from a lack of clean drinking water.
Jim Schultz, founder of the Democracy Center in Bolivia, FLOW.

To learn more visit unwater.

Salad Spinner Turned Pull Toy

The holidays are coming up and kids may be screaming for toys. With the economy the way it is, money is tight for many of us. Remember kids can be creative with what you already have.

Like this one:





The salad spinner is easily found at Ross or TJ Maxx for under $6.00.

Mr.Rubiks--A new toy

I made it through my first solo trip just fine. By the fourth day, Kai woke up crying calling for “mommy”. He probably thought I was never coming back! When they picked me up from the airport, I hopped in the backseat and Kai touched my face. I think he wanted to make sure I was really there.

I think I made it all up to him with a special gift from New York. We call him Mr. Rubiks. He is like a Rubik’s Cube because every piece of him moves around. Mr. Rubik can do the splits, breakdance, and even hold your business cards.

It was a find from Corduroy Kid in Park Slope. The store clerk said he was hand painted in Upstate New York with non-toxic paints.

Solo Trip Part 2--So far, so good

First off, apologies for anyone who has posted a comment and failed to see their comment visible. I'm working out tech issues. I'm bummed because those comments may be lost.

Good news is that my first night away from baby and hubby was so much fun. The night entailed filipino food at Krystal's and halal street food. Yum! A ton of walking through Jackson Heights and Flushing. My friend and I discovered a massive Indian market with a huge collection of incense. paratha, and basmiti rice.

Came back to munch on sweet pineapple and laughed over misspellings in a vietnamese recipe book. There was a recipe for Sweat and Sour Fish soup. You gotta love it.

Then we stayed up til 2am watching Notorious and she glamoured up my nails. For real, I'm talking jewels and silver stripes.

Of course I miss my babies. But it's nice to be here too. All my wise women friends were right, I would instantly enjoy being on my own again.

Thanks C and M for being cool hosts.

Solo Trip--Going Away without Baby

I’m going to New York for four days without my son or husband. It will be my first solo trip since Kai was born sixteen months ago. Honestly, I’m mostly excited but do feel a little bit of guilt and nervousness.

A few months ago, a co-worker shared with me that she never did anything for herself after her kids were born. For seventeen years, she didn’t go on any solo trips or jump at the invitations for girl’s night out.

I’ve always believed in having “me” time and nurturing myself. It's the key to our happiness. I need a reminder of what my life was like pre-marriage and baby. There was such a thing. On my trip, I look forward to reading a novel, sleeping in late, carrying only my stuff, and staying out all night. This trip will be a test and practice for me. In the spring, I’m off to a writer’s residency for seven days without them again.

If you have the urge to take a trip away from mom duties, go for it. I think it will make us better moms in the end.

Family Reading

Thanks to our kind friends, each one of us has new reading material. Since giving birth I've only completed one novel and trying so hard to keep up with the New Yorker.

Here is our reading list:

L: Jhumpa Lihiri, Unaccustomed Earth
Myla Kabat-zinn, Jon Kabat-zinn, Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting


J: Italo Calvino , Numbers in the Dark and Other Stories


K: Todd Parr, The Peace Book




I'm looking forward to learning from Everyday Blessings. How does one remain patient and affectionate throughout the challenges of parenting? I'll post my thoughts once I finish the book.

New Policy: Gift Giving Restrictions to Bloggers

Since I began blogging, I've been offered a variety of products to review. Some companies followed through while others sort of disappeared. I'm a small time blogger but it has been gratifying to be contacted by other companies to test out products. Even though some of the offers I receive are a bit strange, it feels good to know someone is reading. I've never been offered a freebie or money to write a positive review for a company. It would be tempting but I wouldn't feel right.

The FTC created new guidelines mandating bloggers to disclose their relationship with a product and whether they received a gift for writing a review.

“Under the revised Guides, advertisements that feature a consumer and convey his or her experience with a product or service as typical when that is not the case will be required to clearly disclose the results that consumers can generally expect,” the FTC said in a statement. “The revised Guides also add new examples to illustrate the long standing principle that ‘material connections’ (sometimes payments or free products) between advertisers and endorsers—connections that consumers would not expect—must be disclosed."

Just when I was having fun receiving some freebies...I'm suddenly monitored. I understand why but the blogging scale varies. A blogger receiving an expensive gadget might write something a little different from someone who receives a baby bottle. It will be interesting to see how all this is regulated. In the meantime, I'll have to give some serious thought when another marketing executive contacts me.

Read more here.

Words

Apologies for not posting as often as before. October has been super busy at work and home. Thought I’d share all the words Kai says at fifteen months:

mama, mommy, daddy, baba, baby, bubble, apple, caca, cookie, oh wow, cool, moe, and grandma

I think it helps that he doesn’t watch too much TV. I grant him 30-45 minutes of morning time PBS kids every other day. Hooray to books and vocabulary building! I have to admit though that I’d rather have him unlearn the word “caca”.