Teeny Manolo

Tough economic times are hitting everyone, including teens looking for the perfect back-to-school outfits.

The LA Times recently reported that “Thrifty Chic” is now the new cool.  Teens are shopping at places such as vintage clothing stores, Ross, and Wal-Mart for their fall wardrobes.  The harder it is to find the clothes, the more they will appreciate them.  Or, at least that’s the theory, anyway. Vintage items are the most coveted, as it is possible to score stylish, well made clothing for the same price as a new, more cheaply made garment.

I have to say that I fully embrace this new turn of events.  I don’t have a teenager (yet) but it’s about time kids realized that demanding their parents buy them multiple pairs of 7 Jeans (retailing for 150.00 and up) every year was just a bit on the conspicuous consumption side of things.

Let them think they have stumbled upon something novel, something new that only their generation has thought of.  Let these teens discover for themselves the thrill of the hunt, the quest for that perfect boyfriend sweater or Jackie-O inspired wool dress.

This quote from the article warms the cockles of my shriveled little heart:

Wearing frayed shorts, ankle boots and a T-shirt that said “L.A’s Wasted Youth” on the front, Maddy moved methodically through the store, eventually spotting exactly what she wanted: a tan Member’s Only jacket for $35.

“I’m so happy,” she said, heading for the fitting room. “I’ve been looking for a Members Only jacket forever.”

You know, I can’t wait to tell my 90 year old grandfather that he is totally on-trend. 

I know that there are adults out there who do not like baths. I am not among them, although I readily admit to taking very few baths. But the idea of a bath is absolutely smashing.

Most kids I know like taking a bath, and part of that is having some good bath toys to play with whilst waiting for all the bubbles to pop. And, if you have a reluctant bather, then enticing them with some really good bath toys just might convince them to spend more than five minutes in the water. Minus the screaming, too, of course.

Boon Bath Goods Soft and squishy contemporary toys that don’t absorb water, thus lessening the mildew factor. Comes with fifteen bath appliques, three silicone balls, and two mini-scrubbies.

Tub Tunes Water Drums Floating drumset allows you to change the pitch by adjusting the water level. Too cool!

Floating Blocks Use the board provided to stack blocks, and it even comes with its own mesh bag for storage. Which is always handy.

Rub a Dub Stickers for the Tub Twenty seven foam cutouts of cars, trains, and motorcycles allow for lots of creative fun. Also has a mesh storage bag.

Crayola Bathtub Crayons Allow your young Picasso to use the entire bathtub and surrounding walls as their canvas! I speak from personal experience in saying they come off easily with a tiny bit of elbow grease.

Crayola Floating Art Desk Or if you prefer to keep them limited, this is just the thing. Has a built-in storage compartment for the crayons. Crayons included.

Crayola Bathtub Tints They will love watching these tablets fizz (a la Alka Seltzer) in the tub, changing the color of the water. Use the single colors, or mix to create new colors. Non-irritating and will not stain the tub or the kid.

Shaving in the Tub A must for any boy that wants to be just like Daddy. Get your camera ready for this one.

Bathtime Kitchen Sink Help develop motor skills with eight different activities including scooping, pouring, straining, and squirting. Comes with a terry cloth scrub brush and storage bag.

“Sea” Bath Squirties What is bathtime without some squirties? These are definitely the cutest ones around.

Kids just love to pretend that they are older, don’t they? The Munchkin loves to sweep and vacuum and be all grown up, just like the Scarecrow and me. Too bad we are probably on the last legs of this trend, and sooner rather than later I will be bribing him just to make his bed.

But, for the kids that are still groovin’ on the grown-up thing, these are just the ticket.

Playskool Dusty the Talking Vacuum Cleaner with Bonus Mini-Vac Has animation, fun sounds and even Dusty’s friend Brushy! And oooh! Bonus mini-vac!

Little Tikes Mulching Mower Love stuff from Little Tikes! This one has “mulching action” aka little bouncing balls, a gas cap, and realistic sounds that will be sure to be a big hit.

Little Tikes Shopping Cart The Munchkin got this cart when he was three, and he adored it. It doesn’t just have to be a cart for food, it can be a cart for just about everything! Be prepared, though, to have your child careening around the house with it. They just can’t help it.

Little Tikes Tot Sports Easy Hit Golf Uh, it seems like Little Tikes should be giving me some sort of commission here. For your budding Tiger Woods, this can be played both indoors and out.

Wooden Take-Along 24-piece Tool Kit From Melissa and Doug, this cute little toolbox gets high marks for creativity and safety.

Learning Resources Pretend & Play Doctor Set Many doctor sets don’t have enough equipment, but that isn’t a problem here. There’s enough for an entire medical team!

Learning Resources Teaching Cash Register Check it out, from ages thirty six months to seven years! Not many toys have that kind of longevity. Show me a kid who doesn’t love a cash register, I dare you!

LifeStyle Dream Kitchen A big hit with both boys and girls, this kitchen from Step 2 has great attention to detail, including “stainless steel” appliances and “granite” countertops. It also has lots of fun little extras like boiling water sounds and a 28-piece cookware set.

Animal Hospital Pet Vitamins! Boo-boo cream! Little invidual cages! Keys that open separate doors! This set by Parents is everything an aspiring vet could want.

Oh, how I love Devo. Those little New Wave robots stole my heart back in the last century and just never gave it back. But, as is the way of robots, they have begun to assert their independence and their indifference to human emotions.

They have come for our toys!

This is New Wave Nigel, one of McDonald’s recent American Idol toys, and according to Devo and their human slaves lawyers, his use of the Power Dome hat and his suspiciously nerdish vocals (yes, he sings) constitutes copyright infringement.

Well, there are several issues here, not even counting the fact that Nigel’s performance is a little stiff. According to the AndyOnTheRoad blog, Devo never trademarked that hat, nor do they have a hegemony on nerdish-sounding vocals; after all, wasn’t that the entire New Wave?

Ah, but Devo says they did:

“This New Wave Nigel doll that they’ve created is just a complete Devo rip-off and the red hat is exactly the red hat that I designed, and it’s copyrighted and trademarked.

“They didn’t ask us anything. Plus, we don’t like McDonald’s, and we don’t like American Idol, so we’re doubly offended…”

[Bassist] Casale said it was ironic the world’s largest fast food chain should appropriate the image of a band known for taking aim at the dysfunction and herd mentality of American society.

“The very same people that wanted nothing to do with Devo and looked down on Devo and condescended (to) Devo… enough time’s gone by that they go, ‘Hey, you know those guys are synonymous with what was new about New Wave,”‘ he said.

Of course they’re not going to let the matter drop; are they not men? They are Devo!

But why settle for 1/25th scale ripoffs? Kit your family out in the real thing:

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On Friday, Glinda, the Munchkin and the Scarecrow (my husband’s new pseudonym) went and saw Wall-E at our local cinemaplex. Being a big fan of Pixar, I had really high expectations. The first twenty minutes of the film is without dialogue, and it is superbly executed. Wall-E has been described as a “Little Tramp” archetype, and I agree. The story is a multi-level one, a love story when you come down to it, that I think works a bit better with adults than kids, actually. This is not to say I didn’t like it, but I think I liked it more than the Munchkin did. And as always, the accompanying short film “Presto” was excellent.

So far, Pixar has managed to bat .1000, and as any baseball player will tell you, that’s a very difficult thing to do.

Here are my favorite Pixar movies, each of which is ensconced in our permanent library:

Toy Story The one that started it all. The scene with the toy soldiers and the reconnaisance mission is classic, and I still cannot help but feel sad when Buzz jumps off the stairwell, even after many, many viewings.

Monsters, Inc. Line for line, one of the funniest movies ever. Billy Crystal and John Goodman are sheer magic together. I have watched this movie too many times to count, and I still laugh at each and every joke.

Finding Nemo A visually gorgeous film with a truly compelling story. The casting for the voices was sheer genius, because each actor was fabulous, from Marlon to Crush to the seagulls screeching “Mine, mine, mine!” And of course, Ellen DeGeneres giving a pitch-perfect performance as Dory.

The Incredibles Another example of great multi-level storytelling that gets better each time I watch it. But, it has enough visual pizazz to keep the kids interested, even if they may not completely “get” the message.

Ratatouille Pixar somehow manages to make you completely forget any revulsion you should feel at seeing an entire kitchen full of rats cooking a meal. I think that in itself deserves some kind of award.

Pixar Short Films Collection - Volume 1 Famous for their short films as well as their feature-length ones, this DVD has some of the best, from Jack-Jack Attack to For the Birds. Proving that shorts can still be long on entertainment.

Can I just say that I love Wonderboy? No, not the Boy Wonder, but the clothing line Wonderboy. If I could take Wonderboy home and make them some nice homemade chicken soup, I would do it.

I have stated before that as a mother to a boy, I am sick of the same old same old. Same old stripes. Same old checks. Same old graphics of trucks and bugs and various amphibians. I want something different, something with personality.

Well, Wonderboy certainly delivers.

Sea Scroll

I’m like Homer Simpson eyeing a donut on this one. Let the drool commence…

Santorini

Me likey. Me likey lots.

Pool Shark

Love it!

Now, if I could just get them to lower their prices, all would be perfect!

Hmmmm. Needs a Nordstrom’s, I think.

I’m already on my trip, but I can assure you that I overpacked.

I am going to stand up right here an now and admit to you all that “Hello, my name is Glinda and I am an overpacker.”

In this day and age of charging for extra baggage on flights, this is not a good thing.  Not at all.

However, every time I underpack, I find myself in dire need of something.

On my engagement trip to San Francisco, it was pants. Even in August, San Francisco is c-c-c-cold.

On a trip with a toddler, it was a particular type of diapers.  And nothing sucks more than having to hunt for a specific item in unfamiliar territory.  Just for expediency’s sake, I’m sure I spent more than I would normally be comfortable with.

And, we have all had to make that unfortunate trip to the hotel gift shop, and then forking over eight bucks for a tube of toothpaste.  A small tube of toothpaste.

But not Glinda.  Not since what our family has labeled “The Swim Diaper Incident” has she been without anything that she needed, anytime, anywhere.  Even on a trip to the park, I will pack everything I think we could use.

Often I am mistaken for a pack mule, but I’m ok with that.

Boy Scouts got nothing on me.

Chemicals, chemicals, everywhere!  A lot of them under or non-regulated, or even some that are considered safe, but then whoops!  We find out years later that they weren’t so great for anyone after all.  There is particular concern for chemical exposure to children, simply because of their higher skin area to body mass ratios as compared to adults. 

So, one way to ease your fears is to buy products that are organic.  I know that I try to whenever possible, simply because I don’t trust our government to protect our children from harmful chemicals.  And I’m not even a Republican. 

These products are all-natural or organic, or in some cases both, so use with confidence.

California Baby Calming Baby Shampoo and Body Wash

Can be used by adults with sensitive skin as well!

California Baby Calendula Cream

Perfect for many skin conditions, ranging from diaper rash to cradle cap and everything in between.

California Baby SPF 30 + Sunblock Stick

This sunscreen does not contain potentially harmful ingredients found in many bestselling sunscreens. If you feel like getting annoyed, go read this article.

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