My grandmother bought this very toy for my cousin, who is now 21 years old.  My son played with it lo these many years ago, and it is sitting on my living room floor at this very moment, in pristine condition, waiting for my daughter to play with it. Because even though she is fascinated, all she wants to do right now is gnaw on it, not necessarily play with it.

And that is what I love about quality toys, often as not made out of wood, or at least mostly made of wood.   They can last twenty years and then some.  They are often expensive, but I think a bit of extra money is worth it, especially if you plan on having more than one child.  Now, let’s see if this can last to perhaps a grandchild of mine?  Totally worth the sixty bucks.

I wonder who the first person was that thought it was a fantastic idea to take disposable diapers, stack them like layers of a wedding cake, and put flowers on them.   Oh, and then charge a small fortune for them on top of it.

Here you are, having your perfectly nice baby shower, when someone waltzes in with one of these creations. I’m sure they look nice, but then what? Obviously, you can’t eat them. “Diaper” just isn’t ever going to be a viable cake flavor.  Then, I’m sure the thing is a pain the the ass to take apart, because the whole concept just isn’t natural and can only be achieved by what must be quite a bit of tape.  So to get to your perfectly useful diapers, you’ve got to unwind the ribbon and take off all the flowers, which sounds like a very un-fun way to spend the time.

I’ll just take a regular pack of diapers, please.  No need to even gift-wrap them.

Oh, and a real piece of cake.

I love the idea of these. Especially if the child’s name has more than one letter from the alphabet, because how are they going to spell their name with a regular set? Perfect for a gift or for your own child! All natural and organic, safe for teething, and something I might just get for my daughter. 

Via Etsy seller Hudson Block Company

At this point, quit a few of the toys received for Christmas have lost their “newness” cachet and are sitting in the Munchkin’s room along with things he got two years ago. 

Maybe I just have a jaded kid.

But I think he is fairly typical of children in this day and age, who most likely get way too many toys that are just bought for the sake of having something for them to open.

The Munchkin got exactly seven wrapped presents and some stocking stuffers from “Santa” on Christmas morning, and I say that because he already has figured out that there is no such thing as Santa. 

Now I’m sure I have a jaded kid.

But the seven gifts were chosen very carefully, and I think having a few gifts that are chosen in that manner is better than having a bazillion presents which all get tossed aside.

Or maybe it’s just me who is jaded.

Last week I asked how you felt about those holiday newsletters, and a fifty-six percent majority of you felt that as long as they were done well, all is good.  But a significant chunk, almost thirty percent, tend to do an eye roll as they read about all the “accomplishments” of the writer and their family.  Only three percent of you are grinchy enough to toss them in the fireplace, though.

Now that the holidays are (mostly) over, what happens in the aftermath of gift giving?

Nothing is quite as adorable as watching toddlers rip the wrapping paper off of presents. In fact, sometimes the ripping of the paper is more exciting than the actual present itself. Here’s a list for you to make sure that doesn’t happen with your gift.

Fisher Price Elmo Live Encore

Matchbox Rocky the Robot Truck

Fisher Price Kid Tough Digital Camera

Fisher Price Smart Fit

Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teether

Fisher-Price Song ‘n Smiles SillyTown

Vtech Ride and Learn Giraffe Bike

Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Learning Farm

Mickey’s Magic Choo-Choo Train

Almost everyone has a young gamer in their lives, but it’s hard to know exactly what the best new video games are.  You know, because we aren’t really gamers ourselves a lot of the time.  But, never fear, I’ve got your list right here.

Nintendo DS and DSi

Click the links to purchase an actual  Nintendo DS or DSi system.

Mario & Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story  Join Mario and Luigi’s newest adventure with Bowser!  They work their way through challenges and puzzles.  Also contains innovative interactive features where the player must turn the DSi sideways, blow on the microphone, and tap the touch screen to advance the game.

Scribblenauts Scribblenauts is a unique single player side-scrolling action game for the Nintendo DS that challenges players to solve spatially oriented puzzles like no game before it. In it players use an in-game notepad/keyboard, as well as the touch screen and stylus of the Nintendo DS, to conjure up solutions to the obstacles placed in the path of the game’s hero.

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box  He’s baa-aaack!  From the ever-popular Professor Layton and the Curious Village comes the latest in puzzle-solving, brain-challenging fun! Join the famous Professor Layton and his sidekick Luke as you take on more than 150 puzzles included with the game, and more available via download, as you challenge your senses and logic to eventually solve a puzzling mystery.

Rabbids Go Home Departing from traditional mini-game centric action of previous Rabbids games, Rabbids Go Home features Puzzle-Adventure gameplay centered around the Rabbids harebrained scheme to get to the moon.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Chronologically set between the events of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is the newest installment on the Nintendo DS of the wildly popular role-playing game series. Featuring supporting details of Kingdom Hearts II character Roxas, as well as single and multiplayer modes and the new “Panel System” game mechanic, it is destined to be find a cherished place of its own in the beloved RPG franchise.

Nintendo Wii

Click link to purchase a Wii gaming system.

The Beatles: Rock Band You won’t just watch and listen as the Beatles make rock history, create landmark records and conquer the world-for the first time, you’ll be part of the band.

New Super Mario Bros Supporting 2-4 players in side-scrolling co-op and competitive platforming action, and featuring a mix of fan favorites and new characters, new powerups and various input options via the Wii Remote, it is destined to become an instant classic in one of the most beloved game franchises of all-time.

Wii Fit Plus Users will also be able to choose from specialized workout routines that focus on all-around individual personal fitness goals or certain target areas. And with the addition of activities like Skateboarding and Rhythm Kung Fu, players will be using the Wii Balance Board accessory in a variety of new and fun ways.

Rabbids Go Home Features open-world style mission gameplay centered around the Rabbids harebrained scheme to get to the moon. In true Rabbids form this entails over-the-top single player and multiplayer gameplay built around creating a pile made up of everyday and not so everyday items stolen from the consumer-crazed humans of planet Earth, that is literally tall enough to reach the edge of space.

NHL 2K10 Whether you’re a die-hard NHL fan or a casual player, NHL 2K10’s combination of pick-up-and-play controls ensuring accessibility, the game’s true-to-life professional hockey authenticity and its variety of on and off-line multiplayer modes promise hours of entertainment for every gamer, regardless of experience level.

Since the Munchkin was a wee one, I have always found books about upcoming holidays to be really helpful. Not only can they help make sense of what can be somewhat confusing traditions (you mean I get to knock on people’s doors and ask them for candy!!??), but they also get everybody in the mood!

I’ve compiled a list of some of the best Halloween books for the whole family to read together!

Mommy? I’ve already touted the pop-up version of this book by Maurice Sendak, so of course I heartily recommend the regular version as well. A little boy searches through a creepy mansion in search of his mom, and even though the monsters he encounters try to scare him, he quickly shows them who is boss. And on the last page, Mommy!

Leonardo, the Terrible Monster Leonardo is a monster whose misfortune it is to be not all that scary. When he decides to find the easiest kid to scare and attempts to give it all he’s got, the kid starts to cry. But, it isn’t because of Leonardo.

Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden This non-fiction book tells all about the development of a pumpkin seed into a plant, then a pumpkin, carving it into a jack-o-lantern, and then back to seed again, completing the circle. This is a great book to teach your kids about that ol’ “circle of life” thing and the color photographs are stunning. The text is sort of meh, but I think it affects adults much more than the kids.

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything Beautiful illustrations help tell the story of a woman who finds a clever way to deal with the things that are trying to scare her. A just-scary-enough book.

Big Pumpkin A green-faced witch grows a pumpkin to bake into a pie for Halloween. But the pumpkin is too big! She needs help, and she gets it from various passersby, including a ghost, vampire, mummy, and little bat. A very cute story!

Room on the Broom When a friendly witch loses her hat, she manages to pick up a lot of friends on her way to look for it! With lessons of friendship and cooperation, this modern folktale is sure to be a big hit.

Scary, Scary Halloween This book is certainly designed to give children a a bit of a scare, but in a good way! The unseen narrator (a mother cat) describes all the spooky things she sees, which just happen to be children in Halloween costumes. With some great verse and wonderful illustrations, kids of all ages will love this book.

The Night Before Halloween What do monsters and mummies do before Halloween? Using lighthearted verse inspired by “Twas the Night Before Christmas” we find out what they do to prepare for the big day when the kids will be knocking at their door.

Scratch and Sniff: Halloween There aren’t a whole lot of scratch and sniff books anymore, but kids sure do love them. There is a vile (not really!) witch’s brew, a lollipop, pumpkins, bats and ghosts featured in all their olfactory goodness. Uh, well, maybe it doesn’t really smell like a bat, but that’s probably a good thing!

The Ghost’s Dinner Read as Henry the Ghost fixes dinner for his friends, and watch as they turn the color of each dish! But then, they mysteriously disappear after dessert, and Henry must save the day.

Ghosts in the House! This visually stunning book is an unorthodox tale of a young witch who goes to live in a house. Except one thing, there is a ghost already there! But never fear, the clever witch has a plan.