Teeny Manolo

Makeup should be fun.

It should look good, make me feel good, and as a bonus, smell good.

These lip balms by on10 do just that.  Playing with a retro vibe and using high quality natural and organic ingredients, they will provide much olfactory pleasure, and they also have a pleasant taste.  I have the Hershey’s Almond, which I bought because almond is actually one of my all-time favorite scents, but it fell out of favor with makeup/perfume manufacturers for quite a while.   And now I get to smell it every time I slather it on my lips, so that can only be a good thing.

These balms are not heavy or greasy, but go on lightly, at least for a balm.  With scents inspired by Schweppe’s and Hershey’s, how much more fun could you possibly have?

on10 Schweppes Lip Balm Ultra-Moisturizing Trio SPF 15 This trio of retro tins contains Schweppes Pink Grapefruit Seltzer, Tonic Water, and Lime soda flavors.

on10 Hershey’s Lip Balm Ultra-Moisturizing Trio SPF 15 Includes three cute tins of Hershey’s Vanilla Creme, Milk Chocolate, and Almond flavors. 

I have officially fallen in love with the Wii.

We played it constantly when we were visiting with family this summer, and will be getting one for ourselves in short order.   The graphics are outstanding, the games are fabulous, and some of them require quite a bit of movement.  And, can I brag here that I KO’d the Scarecrow in boxing?  I am the champion! Actually, I am afraid that I will find myself wanting to play it just as often as the Munchkin.

But, what games to get?  I did some research, and these are some of the best games for the whole family, rated “Everyone” by the ESRB, which is the rating system of the gaming world.

Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel  You don’t have to get the wheel, but it sure makes it a lot more fun.  Mario Kart is a rollicking good time with fantastical race tracks.  And lots of them!

Super Mario Galaxy Follow Mario into space and travel with him across planets and galaxies as he tries to save Princess Peach from the evil Bowser!

Wii Fit How could I not include the talk of the town? The skiing and snowboarding games are supposed to be the most enjoyable.

Rayman Raving Rabbids Get the most out of the innovative wii-mote as you assist Rayman in the gladiator battles that his rabbit masters are forcing him to play. Sound a little crazy? Well, it’s definitely crazy fun!

Excite Truck More of an arcade game than a real “racing” game, you go off-roading and jumping obstacles. You’re still going fast and there are just as many thrills and spills.

Elebits You are a spoiled child whose parents need your help! Go around with your raygun and collect Elebits so that your town can regain its electrical power! Destructive, but non-violent fun.

Boom Blox A collaboration between Steven Spielberg and gaming giant Electronic Arts, this promises to never get old with over 300 levels! Use objects like bowling balls and fire hoses to clear your path through brain-twisting challenges.

Mercury Meltdown: Revolution Guide your “blob” through mazes and obstacle courses to complete levels. A great game for the budget-minded, it’s one of the cheapest, yet is just as enjoyable as the blockbusters.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves A wonderful multi-player game, you will find it hard to play because you are too busy laughing to try and figure out what you are supposed to do!

Endless Ocean: Dive, Discover, Dream A video game that could almost be described as relaxing! Become a SCUBA diver and explore the ocean and everything in it.

Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection Feel sorry for kids who have never played pinball because you can’t find the tables anymore? This is the closest you are going to get to the real thing without actually having the real thing!

Twisite over at the Basement of the Bargains has discovered a great deal on a very cute bake set. I want one too!

Er, well, maybe these are just games I’ve never heard of before. These games are fun for the whole family, and perfect for those game nights! They all promise to not be boring for the older set, as there comes a point when you can play Candyland or Monopoly only so many times.

Quiddler Ages 8+ Sort of like Scrabble, but with cards. And a little more complicated.

Five Crowns Ages 10+ It comes closest to rummy, with five suits. Start with 3’s, and they are wild. Go on to 4’s and 4’s are wild, and so on…

Blokus Ages 5+ A game of strategy, in which your blocks may not be adjacent to anyone else’s blocks, but yet touch at least one corner of one of your other blocks. And once the block is down, that’s it!

SET Game Ages 6+ A card game where the object is to find specific sets.

Pass the Pigs Ages 7+ A game of chance in which you accumulate points by rolling two cute pink piglets.

Wild Planet Hyper Dash Ages 7+ An electronic game that gets the players moving! The game gives commands as to specific targets, and you have to run around the house or yard to get them! Has four different levels and four different game modes to challenge memory, coordination, and teamwork.

Mayfair The Settlers of Catan Board Game Ages 12+ Catan is an imaginary island that is different every time you play the game! The players are explorers and settlers who develop things on the island.

ThinkFun Rush Hour Ages 7+ Set up cars and trucks and try to maneuver your way through rush hour! Forty “road block” cards and four difficulty levels keep this game challenging!

Ticket to Ride Ages 8+ Claim your own railway route across the United States before your opponents get there first!

Deluxe Pit Ages 8+ A card game where you “corner the market” of a certain commodity. You’ll feel just like a stockbroker. But you’ll still be able to feel good about yourself in the morning.

Because Teeny Manolo is ostensibly a blog about children’s clothes as well as various and sundry other things, I would like to present Baby Eggi.

Fugheddabout that horrifically priced Ed Hardy stuff if you are into tattoo-inspired wear. Baby Eggi is cute, affordable, and the designs are not as over the top as some of the other tattoo wear out there. I also like that they donate a hefty twenty percent of their profits to their charitable partners.   

Baby Eggi was started by two sisters who thought they had what it took to begin their own clothing line. With one of the sisters formerly employed in the fashion industry, they actually did have what it takes. Then, they enlisted the talents of tattoo artist Mark Mahoney. Mark’s real ink can be seen on the likes of Angie, Brad, and Johnny Depp, among many others.

These adorable “Forgive Me for I Know Not What I Do” shirts are eighteen dollars. Not bad when you compare them to Ed Hardy tees at fifty bucks or so.

Days of the week onesies, only twenty eight for the set! Also available in French and Spanish.

Books are already magical, and pop up books seem somehow even more special. There is no better way to get your child hooked on reading than by introducing them to pop up books. Children (and adults too!) are completely fascinated with three dimensional pictures that are, in essence, individual sculptures. Yes, little hands can be grabby and close supervision necessary, but pop up books are also a wonderful way to teach young ones to appreciate and respect books.

Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs: The Definitive Pop-Up by Robert Sabuda Special note must be made of Robert Sabuda, as he is widely viewed as the best pop up book illustrator out there. This is not the first time you will see him on this list.

Mommy? by Maurice Sendak, Arthur Yorinks, Matthew Reinhart A classic Sendak book, which is slightly scary but has the protagonist outwitting all the monsters as he searches for his mom in a haunted castle.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: A Pop-up Adaptation by Lewis Carroll Yet another story illustrated by Sabuda, this is a retelling of the classic. But with totally cool pop up pictures.

Winter’s Tale: An Original Pop-up Journey by Robert Sabuda A story about animals who live in the snow, this visually stunning book ends with a Christmas cottage lit up by real lights.

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Right now, every web site under the sun is giving out their gift ideas for Mother’s Day.

And really, that’s a tough one because what exactly is the proper gift for someone who took ten months out of their lives to create another human being from scratch?

No wonder people, especially men, scratch their heads and wonder what the heck is appropriate.

I recently got an email that declared the “in” gifts for Mother’s Day were “Blooms and Bling.” Whilst I am the first person on the planet to appreciate alliteration, I disagree.

I mean, flowers are pretty, but they die. Why give something that will be dead in a week to someone who was a virtual giver of life?

As for the bling, I’m sure that jewelry is appreciated.

But I can’t help thinking that there’s something better. Something more suited to the magnitude of the sacrifice. 

I had a high-risk pregnancy that resulted in seemingly endless hours of special tests, ultrasounds, and constant doctor visits. I had gestational diabetes, so I was shooting insulin into my stomach three times a day and eating a relatively carb-free diet. I had to have a semi-emergency C-section, where the nurse failed to give me enough dextrose before my epidural, which resulted in me vomiting throughout the entire birth of my child. Instead of cuddling my new infant post-op, I was rushed to some sort of ICU where my body temperature plummeted dangerously and I lay there drifting in and out of consciousness, shivering for four hours despite the special heated blankets heaped upon me.

What kind of material object could possibly compensate me for all of that? And mine is by no means the worst pregnancy/birth story out there.

Ahhh, now that’s more like it. I think I shall call it St. Glinda’s.

I am convinced that fostering an early love of the outdoors, plants, animal life, and gardening is essential for a child. Engaging in growing live things, digging in the dirt, and experiencing all of the life outside of the house can only be beneficial in helping them understand how to care for the earth, and by extension, other people as well. As the current stewards of the planet, we are only as good as what we teach our children.

Here is some great stuff to get you started, if you haven’t already.

Butterfly Garden- This kit has all you need to grow caterpillars into beeyootiful butterflies before their very eyes!

Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children- From a detailed resource list to craft ideas to how to grow a “moon garden,” this book gives parents and children a great start on working together in the garden.

Kid’s Tote with Gardening Tools- This adorable tote with three gardening tools is sure to get them excited!

Kid’s Gardening Tools- This pint-sized tool set will make them feel all grown up!

Seymour Mfg Co #WB-JR Junior Wheelbarrow- Because what kid doesn’t want to dump stuff from a wheelbarrow?

Gardening Wizardry for Kids- Focusing mostly on indoor projects, this book helps kids to understand gardening fundamentals. Contains crafts and experiments, too!

Alex Toys Garden Apron- An apron is a must for all kids mucking around in the dirt, and this one is from a favorite manufacturer of mine.

A Kid’s Herb Book- Want to grow an edible herb garden with your child? This book is the perfect guide.

Sunday Afternoons Kid’s Play Hat UPF 45- Functionality wins out over looks with this hat. It has that essential neck flap as well as those all-important vents. But at least it comes in lots of colors!

Some of the most enjoyable times spent with my son have been the two of us baking in the kitchen. We chat, I try to teach math concepts, he tries to crack eggs without pieces of shell falling into the batter, it’s all good. I have been thinking that it is perhaps time for my budding little chef to fly a bit more solo, and that means a good kids cookbook.

Simple recipes, easy prep, and most of all, recipes that taste good are prerequisites for a cookbook that will be utilized for a long time. As always, I’m here to do the heavy lifting and here are some of the best cookbooks that I could find.

Kids Cooking: A Very Slightly Messy Manual. For younger cooks, easy to follow recipes and great illustrations help out the beginner. And measuring spoons, too!

Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Preschoolers & Up. 17 easy recipes for your preschooler. Each recipes is printed twice, once in writing and once in pictures. An instant classic.

Honest Pretzels: And 64 Other Amazing Recipes for Cooks Ages 8 & Up. Vegetarian recipes make this book stand out. Recipes that are nutritious and easy to make will have your child wanting to make all of them!

Pink Princess Cookbook. If your little girl is enamored of all things princess-y, then this book filled with yummy tea-time snacks should do just the trick!

BatterUp Kids: Sensational Snacks!. This cookbook is great for kids just getting into the whole cooking thing.

Everything Kids’ Cookbook: From Mac ‘ N Cheese to Double Chocolate Chip Cookies-All You Need to Have Some Finger Lickin’ Fun. A little light on the pictures so better suited for children 9-12, this book has everything from lasagne to smoothies. Also has games and craft ideas.

New Junior Cookbook (Better Homes & Gardens). When I was a youngster, I had my own Better Homes and Gardens Cookie Book, and it was awesome. This one has lots of recipes, you’re covered from breakfast to to dinner. Also has a Cooking Basics chapter which explains about everything from cutting up vegetables to how to read nutrition labels. Also has diabetic exchanges.

Kids Cook!: Fabulous Food for the Whole Family. Detailed instructions, “real” food, also gives nutritional info for the over 150 recipes featured. No color illustrations, but the cook can color while the food is cooking!

Babies and kids are big business. That’s why there are a million different toys and safety items and educational thingamajigs and anything else that you can think of just for them.   Products are trumpeted as the latest and greatest, things that you just can’t live without.  But is that really true?

Some of these I sort of covet, but wonder if they make life simpler or just that much more complicated.  Are the concepts revolutionary, or just a way to get you to spend some money? Are they truly useful, or are they just products that prey on parental insecurities?

Shampoo Rinse Cup- Instead of a regular cup, this one has a soft, flexible edge to keep the water and shampoo out of eyes.  Ummm, how about just being really careful? Although if you have a child that screams bloody  murder when water gets on their face, it might be worth it. Although you should discount any future competitive swimming career.

Snack Catchers- I can see why people would like these because they are reusable, but they also seem to possibly go a bit overboard.  Don’t say the name of this too fast, though, it could come out a bit raunchy. 

Babeebrite Hands Free Mobile Light- This is touted for those 3am diaper changes or for checking on your baby in the middle of the night.  It could be the best thing ever, or just another gadget that becomes too much trouble when you can just get a soft night light.  Nobody expects a 3am diaper change to be perfect, anyway.

Auto Seat Back Protector- Whatever happened to the good old days when parents would just scream at their kids to stop kicking the back of the car seat, or so help them God, they would pull over?

Child Locator- For twenty bucks, this device will enable you to track your child up to 150 feet away and through concrete walls.  In one sense, I think parents should obviously keep track of their kids, but for certain events, I could possibly see the usefulness of this. 

Juice Pal- Keeps those annoying juice boxes and pouches from being squeezed too tightly by little hands and spurting all over your beige carpet.  I can see where this would come in handy, but kids aren’t supposed to drink a lot of juice, so I’m conflicted.

Inflatable Bathtub Liner- You inflate this with a separately sold pump (because with an infant you just have so much extra time for blowing up liners!) and you simply line the tub so that your child won’t hurt his/her self on the sides of the tub.  It isn’t designed to keep your child from slipping in the tub, so I don’t quite see the point.

Crustless Sandwich Cutter-  All right, I have to admit I’m a fan of the cute little shapes, but is this truly necessary?

DaysAgo Digital Day Counter- I for one remember being extremely sleep deprived in those infant days, but was I so far gone that I needed to stick a digital counter on my food to tell me if it was still any good?  And you have to set the thing to boot. 

Stroller Safety Flag- Attach this to your stroller, and everyone will see you!  How about just being very conscientious when pushing your stroller, whether it be in a crowd or entering an intersection? And don’t they know that people already avoid women with strollers like the plague?

I would love, love, love to know what you all think of these.