Toys to Engage Your Little Learner

Last month Rocky was recruited to be a toy reviewer for a California-based company called Educational Insights. This company has been around for 50 years, creating and selling wonderful toys that are both fun and educational. He was elated when we received a big box containing several age appropriate products for him to try. This [...]

A Board Game That's a Real "Hoot"

I come from a family of serious board game players.  My grandparents met playing Monopoly, and my brother used a Scrabble board to propose to his fiancée.  So, it is no great surprise that The Big Cheese is a big fan of board games at the ripe old age of 3. When Peaceable Kingdom contacted [...]

A Target Debit Card = Money in Your Pocket

If you’re anything like me, you may think of Target as your mothership.  I am there all the time, and I buy basically everything at Target.  This means I spend serious money there.  If you’re a Target regular like I am, you know there are regular offers to sign up for a Target REDcard.  I have always [...]

Retailer Impressions

Now that the holiday shopping season is winding down, were there any standout retailers, good or bad, in your experience? I shopped plenty of different venues, everywhere from Amazon.com to my local Target. Here were some of my impressions. First let’s get the bad stuff over with. Just a minor offense by our local Golfsmith [...]

Random Tuesday Thoughts

The first full lunar eclipse on a winter solstice since the 17th century, and Southern California, the place of eternal sunshine, is in the middle of an unending rainstorm.  Hopefully some of you were able to enjoy it. The Big Cheese is rather obsessed with The Grinch.  She’s really afraid he’s going to steal her [...]

Meet the Mama Behind Mamabargains.com!

There are plenty of good deals available on the Internet, but often those deals come at the expense of customer service, reasonable shipping times and rates, and just plain reliability. And that’s really lame.  It can be so difficult to find an etailer that has it all, so let me tell you about one of [...]

A Can't Miss Toy for Toddlers AND Preschoolers

I have to review this toy because both of my kids love it.  And, while it comes with 27 pieces, it’s never strewn across the living room floor.  Also, even though it plays music, it isn’t annoying.  Oh, yeah, and it’s gender neutral. Do I have your interest, yet? It’s Leap Frog’s Fridge Phonics Magnetic Alphabet [...]

'Tis the Season To Be Sick

‘Twas the night before Thanksgiving and all through the day, I’d been achin’ and chillin’ with no appetite.  I called up my hubby and asked him to please, bring home some Oscillo as fast as can be.  After taking as directed, third time the charm, Thanksgiving morning I was raring to go. Now, I truly [...]

You Can Have Upholstered Chairs and Little Kids, Too

I love the look and feel of upholstered chairs. Unfortunately, when it came time to choose a dining room set for our new place, I had to consider the fact that I had a 3-year-old who I feared would ruin the fabric on my beautiful chairs in no time. My husband and I ultimately decided [...]

Shutterfly Holiday Cards

I’m a paper snob. You name it–books, stationery, cards–nothing gets my heart going like a stationery store. Letterpress? Be still my beating heart! So when holiday time comes around I’m a staunch traditionalist for paper cards. And perhaps as a result of having an uncommon name growing up, personalizing cards is a must for me. [...]