Oh Boy! It’s finally here, the time of year where I get bombarded with toy and game commercials that inevitably lead to me spending two [or more] paychecks on things that (both me and) my little boy will enjoy for months..or until something better comes around.

But more importantly is the fact the I get to claim ZERO credit for these fabulous gifts, seeing as they all end up being delivered from Santa. Which is all good for now - after all, watching the bewildered look on his face as he tries to figure out how Santa managed to deliver all the toys on his list while he slept, ate the cookies and drink the milk that he left out, and then vanish is pure entertainment. So why not step it up this year for some other children?

I recently found out that Macy’s is collecting “letters to Santa” in a special Santa letterbox at all Macy’s stores. Then, for each letter they receive, “…Macy’s will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Believe Meter will measure America’s belief, based on our collective spirit – including the amount of letters received and other current events that reflect the season’s generosity.”

Now that’s a cool idea! So that’s exactly what we did… we took my sons letter to Macy’s and told him that Santa would be stopping by here to pick up the letters from all the little boys and girls this Christmas. And with that same bewildered look, he asked me “Santa shops here too?”

Yes, but only when there’s a sale.

All of the parents on our street met last night to talk about what we’re going to do for the kids this Halloween. We like to get together and plan a neighborhood party or try to coordinate all the kids to go out together.

But the topic of discussion turned into what “treats” to give the kids. OK, so it’s no secret that kids eat A LOT of sugar these days and that obesity is running rampant with kids in the U.S. I mean, come on…we’ve all heard the news of how childhood obesity is at an all time high. But this is Halloween! It’s the one time when you SHOULD be able to eat candy and get a sugar rush. And although, at first I had planned on standing strong on my philosophy - apparently my neighbor wasn’t the only mother concerned with letting her kids have too much “junk” this year.

And honestly, now that we have a new trick-or-treat game plan, I think this year is going to be a fun change of pace. We all agreed to give out toys instead of candy. Nothing major, we’re not talking X-Boxes or remote controlled cars. More like stickers, pencils, Play-Doh or glow sticks, in addition to a piece of candy here or there.

Most of the kids in our neighrborhood are too young to realize that they’re missing out on the cavity creating surplus that halloween normally brings, but if the trend catches on we’ll still end up with a bunch of cute kids in costumes and far less trips to the dentist.

I found an interesting video on YouTube yesterday while searching for baby related videos. It’s a trailer for a new video game on Nintendo DS titled My Little Baby that allows you to raise a virtual baby. From the trailer it seems there are a variety of real world activities you can take part in, when it comes to raising a baby.

“My Little Baby is a family-friendly game for the Nintendo DS that gives players the opportunity to raise a baby – all without the real-world messes, sleepless nights, or “terrible two’s.” Players start by creating virtual parents, whose unique characteristics – eye color, hair color, skin tone, etc.

Anyway, I thought this was interesting. Not sure what to make of it and I’m also not sure what audience this would appeal to. Since its on the DS, one would assume it would be for a failry younger audience.

Has anyone realized that there were more babies born in the United States last year (2007) than ever before?

About 4,315,000 children were born in 2007, which is about 15,000 more births than at the peak of the baby boom in 1957. Although during that time, the “baby boom” was influenced by a fewer number of woman having more than one baby. So why the drastic increase? Well, as far as I’m concerned, there are two reasons:

The first being the overall increase in population. Each year the U.S. population grows, and in turn its only natural that the number of newborns increase as well. You gotta love science!

But secondly, and in my (humble) opinion, the REAL root of this growth: plain, good old fashioned boredom. I’ll explain – the rapid (and disappointing) increase in the number of reality shows, the writer strike in Hollywood, the mindless movie plots being released every week has left us nothing to do with our spare time. (Although there are a handful of exceptions, such as Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog. If you haven’t seen it, watch it!)

Not to mention the economic factors that come into play. With everyone trying to save money, fewer people are going out for entertainment (movies, dinner, etc.) so we stay in and get comfortable, and with that leads to, eh hem, other “entertaining” things.

So if we really want to point the finger, lets aim it towards Hollywood…or the economy…or Deal or No Deal – that Howie Mandel has got to answer to someone!

I found an interesting article today with tips that are sure to create a lot of fun for your kids as well extra noise and headaches for you. MSN, Family & Parenting has an article about household objects that can be great toys (noise makers) for your little one. This makes a lot sense, as I’ve noticed babies usually ignore their bright and colorful toys and go after things we parents wouldn’t consider toys at all.

Baby bottle caps & straws seem to keep our baby occupied for several minutes. The straws aren’t so bad but the noisy bottle cap hitting and spinning on the floor can get to you. I sometimes ask myself, “why do I keep buying toys”? If my kid can be entertained by empty shoe boxes, cardboard boxes, wooden spoons, and other regular everyday items then Fisher-Price is going to start losing some business.

A few of the household items featured can also provide some fun educational benefits. With the different sounds, shapes, textures, etc. your child is sure to pickup a thing or two.

“Providing a variety of shapes and sizes will encourage your child to invent new ways to balance and build that a set of traditional square blocks might not. Plus, it gives him a chance to understand size relationships.“

Read the full article here: Terrific Toys from Around the House

Growing up, I remember how paranoid my parents got every 4th of July. They were very strict with rules and safety when it came to me playing with fireworks. I was always excited and anxious to light up some fireworks with my friends but they made me promise to be safe and responsible at all times. I wasn’t even allowed to light fireworks during my much younger years!

Now, with a little one of my own (even though he isn’t old enough yet), I know exactly how they felt. Parents, just a quick & friendly reminder to make sure your kids are safe and careful during this holiday weekend. I’m sure we all agree how upsetting it is to hear about fireworks accidents involving children every year around this time.

Below are fireworks safety tips from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission:

• Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks
• Read and follow all warnings and instructions
• Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks
• Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from the house, dry leaves, and flammable materials
• Never try to relight fireworks that have not fully functioned
• Keep a bucket of water in case of a malfunction or fire

Have a safe and Happy 4th of July!

My son LOVES the water. We take advantage of summer the best way we can and take him to water parks and pools or just sit outside and play in the sprinkler. But his new favorite water sport is sitting in our backyard and (luckily for me) there’s no admission fee!

We ordered the “Lil’ Squirts Baby Pool” out of the One Step Ahead catalog, and our little boy has loved it from day one. Its essentially like any other baby pool, except that you hook it up to the hose and he can splash around and play with the various “sprayers” that shoot out a gentle spray of water that makes him laugh every time he catches it.

The only downside is that when it was cool outside, the water from the hose was too cold for him to enjoy - but I haven’t figured out a way to control the weather yet so I’ll have to make due.

+12 months (and up) | $19.95 (via One Step Ahead)

Image from One Step Ahead