One of our most popular lines are the Sticky Mosaics art kits. We’re so excited to be able to offer 3 new designs in time for the holidays (we’re expecting them to arrive in early December). Sticky Mosaics Fairies is similar to the Princess and Jewels designs, featuring jewel tiles and 4 beautiful designs. The other two new items are quite different - for the first time, Sticky Mosaics have gone 3-D! Children can build their own Sticky Mosaics Castle, complete with colorable action figures, or a unique Sticky Mosaics Jewelry Box with both foil and gem pieces.

We are now taking preorders on all three items.

1. Children’s Metal Jewelry Recalled By WeGlow International Due to Risk of Lead Exposure2. Dollar Tree Stores Inc. Recalls Children’s Jewelry Due to Risk of Lead Exposure

As my younger child grows, I am introducing more and more activities that focus on his fine-motor development without being tedious or frustrating for him.  One of his favorite activities is to play with lace-up toys.  It is a perfect activity for increasing eye-hand coordination as well as being a lot of fun!

There are several kinds of lacing toys that you can find online and in stores.  First, you have the traditional lace-up cards.  Usually there is a picture of an object with holes punched along the borders, and the child weaves a shoestring through it.  I always put a knot at one end of the string for my son so he doesn’t lose his patience with the end always pulling through.  At his young age, I have found it useful to start with shorter strings and fewer holes.  He can complete one easily and in a short amount of time; perfect for his attention span.  I also favor the ones that are cut to the shape of the object as opposed to being simply a rectangle with a picture imprinted on it.  It is easier for little hands to spot the punched holes around the object and reach.  They make terrific beginning stencils as well. 

There are also alternative lacing activities.  We have a book about tying shoelaces, and the cover of the book is a cardboard “shoe” that the child can lace.  He LOVES this one.  I just have to be careful - a week ago I found my tennis shoes unlaced!  Also, I have found a variety of the “Dressy Betsy”-style toys.  These are usually dolls or animals with all sorts of fasteners on them: snaps, buttons, zippers, velcro and yes, laces.

Another lace-type activity that we love is stringing beads.  These can be anything from large wooden colorful shape beads (which work great for teaching patterns!) to soft foam pieces and even colored (or uncolored) macaroni.  We make necklaces, bracelets, garlands and even a backpack “decoration” for Big Brother.  Beading is something children as young as two can enjoy as well as pre-teens.  It all depends on the materials used.

By giving your child the opportunity to explore such activities as lacing, you are helping to develop their fine-motor skills, their eye-hand coordination, and providing an outlet for fun for everyone!

Back when my older son was really little, my husband and I realized just how precious our Saturdays were.  The weekdays were filled with work and meetings, appointments and chores.  Sundays were spent at church and with family.  Saturday was essentially our only day together, just us.  So, we instituted Special Saturdays.  It is our one day each week to plan (or in some cases) not plan anything…well…special.

We typically start our Saturdays with a pajama party, complete with pancakes and bacon.  In recent years, we’ve turned to more of the IHOP style of pancaking - whipped cream, flavored syrups, and pancakes the size of the plate.  Cold, wintery mornings bring out our hot chocolate stash, and in the summertime we make a buffet of fresh fruits and smoothies.  Sometimes, we pull out leftover birthday plates and cups to give it a festive flair, and on occasion we even drag out the good china and drink milk and juice from crystal goblets.

Saturdays are our time to spend together.  We may go to the local children’s museum or zoo, maybe we’ll paint some pottery or swing at the city park.  Or, perhaps we all get out in the back yard and work in the flower beds, planting new landscaping and making bird treats to hang in the trees.  We have an occasional movie day, popping popcorn and stretching out on the sofa to watch our favorite flick or loading up the car to catch the latest on the silver screen.

In recent times, we’ve found ourselves with commitments that crop up into “our” day - sporting events, birthday parties, cub scout outings.  And, those are okay, too.  We try, for the most part, to still do them as a family, and even if we still have to lose part of our day to “outside forces”, we make it a point to put aside the rest of the day for just us.

Spending quality time together as a family is the core to a healthy family relationship.  What are some traditions or ideas you and your children have?

When I first started planning my older son’s decor, the themes available were quite limited.  I wanted something for his room that could carry him through his infant years and into elementary age (and possibly further).  Yet, it was difficult to find themes for him that weren’t too babyish and not too mature.

We decided on a transportation theme.  It was very “boy” and was something I could see staying with him for quite a number of years.  We had sheets with trains, planes and trucks on them.  His comforter was a solid color, but he had a traffic light bedside lamp, a tractor fan pull, a fire truck rocking chair, and a cute school bus rug. 

Then, my husband was transferred, and I was faced with redecorating yet another room.  This time, though, my son was older.  And, he had a few opinions of his own.  While the transportation theme had been cute, age-appropriate and fun, it wasn’t HIS.  He wanted to choose his own style, and my husband and I agreed.

His new room is a space theme.  He (and now his little brother) have handmade quilted comforters with planets, stars and rockets on them.  We painted his room a light navy and adhered glow-in-the-dark stars to the vaulted ceiling.  My son wanted the planets painted on a wall in his room, and while I was happy to oblige, I also wanted him to take ownership in his room.  So, I took artists’ canvas board and painted them to match the wall color.  Then, my son had a ball, painting his own planets on the canvas boards.  We hung them on the wall, and his room is now alive with rockets, stars and space toys.  He creates his own decorations from time to time, and he designed a space mobile that hangs in front of his window.

By allowing my son to take part in the transformation of his space, I have given him ownership and responsibility for it.  He takes great pride in showing everyone his own abilities, and he tends to be more careful with his belongings and furniture, especially since he helped pick it out.  Involving your child in a process such as this is a wonderful way to teach planning, budgeting, organization and ownership.  After all, your child has to live there, too - why not make it someplace they truly enjoy?

Wonderbrains has an amazing assortment of decorating themes for children.  Be sure to check out their products and suggestions.

At one time, I aspired to be Martha Stewart.  I labeled my linen closet, I made my own napkin rings.  I pruned plants in my backyard and created swags and centerpieces with the clippings.  I made my own marshmallows.  Oh yes, Martha was my daily inspiration.  And then came the kids.

Nowadays I’m doing well just to remember to close the garage door before we zip out to run the morning carpool.  Laundry is done on a daily, as-needed basis, and ironing consists of a fifteen minute tumble in the dryer with a damp towel.  Our centerpiece on our table now is a stack of However, there are a few things that Martha taught me that stick with me in my parenting.  And my favorite is my labeling system for the kids’ playroom.

I wanted a way to organize my boys’ massive collections of trucks, cars, Legos, play dough, little plastic animals, and miscellaneous other interests, and I wanted it fun and simple enough for my children to participate or, ideally, independently use.  I sorted the toys into various lidded bins according to type.  Then, I labeled each bin with a simple word or phrase: “animals”, “small balls”, “cars”, “zoob“, “airplanes” and more.  Then, before I adhered them to the end of the container with a swatch of clear packing tape, I attached a photo of the toys inside.  My three year old, who isn’t able to read the words on the boxes quite yet, is still able to successfully pick up his toys by simply looking on the sides of the bins for the match.  And, he no longer asks me to find his Thomas trains, because he can find them himself with the pictures on the bins.

Pictoral labeling as an organizational tool for children is a great way to empower your children and give them the opportunity to take care of themselves.  It makes the bins cute to look at on a shelf, too!

Here are the latest recalls announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  Visit their website for more detailed information.1. Riddell Recalls Collectible Mini Racing Helmets Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

2. Bendable Dinosaur Toys Recalled by Kipp Brothers for Excessive Lead

3. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store(r) Recalls Travel Art Sets Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

4. J.C. Penney Recalls Disney(tm) Winnie-the-Pooh Play Sets Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

5. J.C. Penney Recalls Deluxe Art Sets Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

6. Dunkin’ Donuts Recalls Glow Sticks Due to Choking and Strangulation Hazards  

7. Guidecraft Inc. Recalls Children’s Puppet Theaters Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

8. Antioch Publishing Recalls Additional Bookmarks Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

9. Albert’s Recalls Halloween Skull Pails Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

10. The Gymboree Corp. Recalls Toy Swords Due to Breakage and Laceration Hazard 11. Game Pieces Sold with “Cars” Backpacks Recalled By Global Design Concepts; Detached Magnets Pose Aspiration and Intestinal Hazards

A couple of months ago, my older son turned 8.  We have been dogless for about 18 months, and he was really missing the whole pet realm.  While we weren’t really ready to dive back into canine-world (give me some time - I just finished landscaping the back yard), we did decide that he was old enough to have his own pet.  And thus began our journey into hermit crab-world.

We started by purchasing the Hermit Crab Cove by Uncle Milton.  It was perfect.  The kit comes with everything you need to get started with your hermit crabs, including a detailed handbook that tells you pretty much anything you ever wanted to know about raising hermit crabs, and it does it in an easy-to-understand way, perfect for young pet owners.  There is even an order form to purchase your hermit crabs through the mail.  (Note: the company will only ship your pet(s) if the climate it mild enough, so keep that in mind.  Their prices are VERY reasonable, but being in Texas, we went to our local pet store for our hermit crabs and spent the extra money as the mail order ones probably wouldn’t ship until November!). 

Since that first day, my son has shown that taking care of a pet (or two in this case) is something he is VERY capable of doing, and doing well.  He feeds them every day, checks their water, cleans their cove at least once a week, and he takes them out for exercise every few days.  Blue (in the blue shell) and Goldie (in the black and gold shell) both have quite distinctive personalities.  Goldie is definitely the more active and sociable one, while Blue is the strategist, always trying to crawl out of wherever he is.  Blue is also sometimes called Brownie when he switches shells for the brown shell, which he does about once a week. 

Hermit crabs are an excellent choice for a beginning pet for a young child.  They are simple to care for, interesting to watch, and do not take up much room.  There are some simple rules to abide by when caring for them to avoid hurting them or getting a surprise little pinch from them, but they are quite social and can encourage children to take pride in pet ownership.  Both of my boys (ages 8 and 3) are eager to care for Blue and Goldie, and they both are capable of feeding, watering and caring for the crabs.

While my boys are still interested in having a dog someday, they are quite content with the hermit crabs they have now.  I know we will most likely be dog-owners again in the future, but for now, a hermit crab is the perfect choice for my boys.