What's New at Kid Buy Products and more from CSN stores

It's been quiet around here for a couple of months.  Well, quiet around Kid Buy Products, not so quiet around my house.  Who knew that taking care of a newborn and his two older siblings could take up so much of my time!  Henry will be 6 weeks old tomorrow, and I'm sort of beginning to see a light!

In preparation for adding another child into our family, last summer my husband and I decided it was time to trade in our queen size bed for a king.  Definitely one of the best decisions we've made in a long time!  Plenty of room for me, a nursing baby, dad, and even his big sister when she watches Star Wars right before bedtime.  Not one of our best decisions!  We splurged on the mattress and bedding, but are still lacking a headboard.  I've been shopping online (my favorite place to shop!) and have found lots of great finds at CSN stores.  If you like the look of upholstered headboards, there are lots of choices at the CSNstore, Bedroom Furniture.com.  There are also tons of different platform beds, including the Modus Riva which I love.  While my Christmas wishlist includes some big ticket items like a new minivan for my three little monkeys, I'm also really hoping that Santa brings me a new bed!

As far as what you can expect to see here at Kid Buy Products in the coming months, I'm hoping to get my Christmas shopping for the kiddos done early so I can share some of my favorite picks for the almost three crowd, and for 5-year old girls who aren't really interested in dolls!  I'm also planning on a review of some new backyard playground equipment, including this glider swing from Gorilla Playsets.  I'm also considering this Melissa and Doug Wooden Railway Set for my little train lover, who is oblivious to the fact that Thomas exists, and I hope to keep it that way.  Better for my pocket book.  If I decide to go for the Melissa and Doug version, I'll provide a review of it in the next month or so, too.    I'm also still planning a review of the super cute luggage from one of my faves, Dante Beatrix.You can purchase both the glider swing and the railway set, as well as luggage and backpacks by Dante Beatrix at CSNstores.com.

That's what you have to look forward to here on Kid Buy Products in the near future.  I will admit, our days of daily posting are over, at least in the short term, but you can expect at least bi-weekly posts at the minimum, hopefully more as I get a handle on this raising three kids business!  

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Review: E-Z Bat Baseball toy by Monkey Business Sports

Recently, I read a statistic that American children only spend an average of 4-7 minutes outside every day. I don't remember the publication, but I believe it was one of Seattle's local parenting magazines. It doesn't really matter where the number came from, or if it's off by just a little bit because even if it's off by 50%, that means that kids are only outside for less than 15 minutes a day! I love being outside, and I want my kids to feel the same. So, when a new outdoor toys comes around, I jump at the chance to try it out. This time, it's the E-Z Bat Baseball toy from Monkey Business Sports.

Fun Factor *** - Around our house, baseball might just be the most favored sport.  Any toy that gives our kids the chance to be a "baseball" player is guaranteed to be a hit!  Of course, anyone who has tried to pitch a ball to a 2 or 4-year old, or even tried to wait patiently as they hit the tee and not the ball over and over, will appreciate that with the E-Z Bat, every time your child swings the bat, the ball goes flying!  I'm not saying that they have a perfect swing every time, but we're trying to teach them to love the sport, not necessarily train them to be the next Babe Ruth.  Isaac very much prefers to load up both E-Z balls and watch them fly down the street the street at the same time.  Nadia likes to prolong her turn by only "hitting" one ball at a time.  Either way, at the end of the turn, they both chase the balls down and return them to the next batter giving them the oh-so-important exercise they both really need.

She was not in any mood to stop for a picture, hence the super serious face.

Materials/Durability **** - We've played pretty hard with this toy over the past month or so, and it's still going strong.  I like the fact that even when the kiddos graduate from "hitting" the E-Z balls off the bat, they can still use the bat to hit regular balls, too, lengthening the life of the toy.  Plus, the balls are not hard which means they don't sting when someone gets hit by a flying ball, and we never risk accidentally breaking a neighbors window.

Here's Isaac loading up his bat with both balls.  

Price - Just $15.99 directly from Monkey Business Sports.

Not quite sure why she thought it was a good idea to swing at me, luckily I go the pic and then out of the way just in time!

Overall Rating ***1/2 - I'm under no illusions that after playing with the E-Z bat, my children are going to be making the All-Star team at the age of 5.  As far as I'm concerned, this toy is a way for my kids to safely get some experience playing "baseball" while also enjoying some much needed time running and playing outside.  The E-Z Bat is great for children from ages 2-7.

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Birthday Gift Ideas for 2-year olds

Without fail, at least one or two times a year, I Google the phrase "birthday gift ideas." It's almost always for a child who is older than my children are now. I don't always know what a 6-year old is into, and parents aren't always helpful when you ask for gift ideas.  "Oh, they don't need anything!" is usually the response.  Last fall, I posted my list of birthday gift ideas for 4-year olds to help those of you struggling with birthday or holiday gift ideas for friends and family. Yesterday, a good friend sent out an email asking for help with ideas for her soon-to-be 2-year old. I had a lot of fun making a list of the toys that I thought would be great for her son. It was also interesting to think about the toys that my 2-year old plays with as well as my 4-year old. I'd much rather give a child a gift that lasts for years, than one that makes its way to the next garage sale.  Because it seems silly to keep the list to myself, I thought I'd share it today.  I didn't add every single toy my two kids ever play with, but I did include the ones that I know I end up picking up at the end of the day.  I also included a few games and puzzles that seem to be as much fun for Nadia when she was two, as they are for her today, nearly 3 years later.

Playmobil 1,2,3 -  I've blogged about the love my family has for Playmobil 1-2-3 before.  The 1-2-3 toys are chunkier than the regular Playmobil and the pieces don't come apart which makes them much more suitable for the 3 and under crowd.  This bin gets dragged out of the closet literally every day, and both kids play with it.  I buy most of our Playmobil from Ridge Road Station online because in November they usually have a big sale, and they always offer free shipping on Playmobil orders over $40. However, any toy store that carries regular Playmobil will usually carry the 1-2-3.  As a gift idea, the 1-2-3 sets are great because they are almost all under $20!  

Another favorite at our house is the Eeboo Baby Animals Puzzle Pairs, and not just for the 2-year old.  Nadia loved putting the pieces together at two, but now that she's four, she loves "teaching" Isaac.  The cards are sturdy and easy for little hands to put together.   

Play Food - It is my experience that it's not so much about the play kitchen, as it is about the play food.  Nadia and Isaac rarely actually play with their stove/oven and refrigerator, but they do however serve me some kind of play meal daily.  Isaac's favorite meals always involve these Smart Snacks Rainbow Color Cones from Learning Resources.  If you're short on space, or on a tight budget, don't deny your kids the pretend play experience of cooking for you because you can't afford a play kitchen.  They'll be just as happy with the accessories!  

The Orchard game from Haba is one of my children's favorite games.  Don't balk too much at the price.  Both kids love to play this game, and now they can play together and have since around the time Isaac turned 2.  The pieces are wooden, not plastic, and not too small.  The baskets got destroyed, but the rest of the game will last forever.  It's one game that goes fast enough that even mom and dad don't mind playing too much, either!

A wooden pounding bench.  The one pictured above is made by Schylling and sells for $10 on Amazon.  We got ours at Ikea and it looks practically identical for only $6.  We've had pretty good luck with our Ikea version, but if you don't have an Ikea around, the one on Amazon seems like a pretty good deal, too.

Hungry, Hungry Hippos - Every single night, Isaac asks to play this game.  Every. Single. Night.  If you can stand the noise, it's the perfect 5 minute game. I do understand why my mom would never buy it for us, though.  I only got to play it at friend's houses.

Train set - This is definitely on a kid-by-kid basis.  Nadia could care less about the trains, but Isaac loves playing with them.  He sets them up differently every day.  I opted to not spend the money on a super expensive set, we went with the set from Ikea.  So much less expensive, and unless your child is a real Thomas lover, there's no reason why you need to spend $10-15 per train car - at least not in my opinion.    

Pretend Play Doctor set.  We have this one from Learning Resources.  It's currently spread out all over my couch.  Sometimes I'm the patient, but I have some really adorable pictures of Isaac taking care of his pet tiger and of his sister.  

And, my absolutely most favorite toy - Schleich Animals - I'm not exaggerating when I say that these are the number one most played with toy in our whole house.  They are simply an amazing learning toy.  Our collection gets lined up in order of biggest to smallest, categorized into groups and organized into families.  My kids hold little NFL-style drafts as a strategy for fairly choosing who gets which animal, and they get hidden around the house for games of hide and go seek.  I could rave about these for days!  The same goes for the dinosaurs.  You can buy them now in the specialty toy aisle at Target, or at just about any toy store.  Individually, yes, they are a little pricey, but such a great investment.  Your kids will find a million ways to enjoy them.  There are other similar brands, too, but our animal collection is made up of almost solely the ones from Schleich.


Again, there are other toys that my kids play with, but in our house, these are definitely the favored ones.  Hope it helps those of you looking for gift ideas for friends and family, or even your own almost 2-year old.

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Review: NutraSea Kids omega-3 fish oil for kids

Do you have kids like mine who won't touch fish, unless it's a breaded nugget from Trader Joe's? Do you struggle with finding ways to get those essential fatty acids that are so abundant in fish into your child's diet? There are all kinds of supplements out there, but many of them seem to come in the form of a gummy "vitamin" which I've been told to steer away from by my children's dentist. Recently, I was sent a sample of NutraSea Kids by Ascenta. NutraSea Kids omega-3 fish oil contains vitamin D which out here in the sun-starved Pacific Northwest is definitely needed as a supplement. NutraSea Kids also contains EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids which have been proven to be crucial to early childhood development. For the school-age crowd, there's omega-6 which studies have shown to help improve concentration. All of this goodness is jam-packed into a "very berry" flavored liquid that my kids have been enjoying in smoothies. I've also read that kids enjoy it simply poured over their favorite yogurt, too.

Do I expect that after enjoying a smoothie supplemented with NutraSea Kids that my 2 year old is going to be ready to ace the SAT? No. But, I do believe that if I can give them a little leg up early in life to help them be as successful as possible, does it hurt to pour some little omega-3 fatty acids on their yogurt? Nope. In fact, considering the limited diets of my picky, picky eaters, I feel it's my duty to make sure I'm getting them the essential vitamins and fatty-acids they need to stay healthy and be successful. NutraSea Kids is one way that I'm able to do just that!

You can find NutraSea Kids at VitaminShoppe.com, but you can also use this handy store locator to find a retailer near you who also carries NutraSea Kids.  

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Oooh..I want to try that....Playmobil Furnished School Building and Construction Vehicles

On a recent browsing trip through the toy store, the very nice salesperson sent my kids away with the new 2010 Playmobil catalog.  My children have spent hours and hours pouring over the pages creating their ultimate wish list for Santa.  Of course, I'm more than willing to encourage this obsession with Playmobil because I find myself to be just as excited when they get a new Playmobil toy as they are!  I've written before about how much I love the Playmobil 1-2-3 toys for toddlers, and Isaac still drags his bin out every single day.  Nadia is equally into her Playmobil Suburban Home, and on yesterday's trip to the toy store, she opted to spend her allowance on a Native American Family (because it had a papoose, of course.)  It's no real surprise that on Nadia's wish list is the new Playmobil Furnished School Building.  With add-ons like a school cafeteria, gym, and rock band, I think the set is pretty awesome, too!  Will Santa justify another big Playmobil set this Christmas?  I'm not sure, but it doesn't keep the big and little kids in this house from wishing!  

Another series I, I mean Isaac, is currently obsessed with is the new heavy-duty construction vehicles.  I priced big trucks at the toy store yesterday and was amazed at how expensive they are.  We have the big Tonka trucks for outside, but I'm thinking for indoor play, I'd rather splurge on Playmobil for Isaac.  I know I can trust the quality, and Playmobil's attention to detail is always spot-on.  Christmas can't get here soon enough!

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A Shopping Mecca: CSN Stores.com

I've blogged about my experience with CSNstores.com before, and today, I've been hooked on checking out their dining room furniture at dining rooms direct.com.  Our current dining table is an Ikea treasure that is in it's 11th year with us.  It has been the best table ever, but 3 meals a day with two young children is finally taking it's toll on our old friend.  We aren't ready to pull the trigger on a new table yet, but the time is drawing near.  With 948 choices of rectangular tables, in all price ranges, I'm guessing that it's pretty realistic that our next table might actually come from dining rooms direct.com.  Seriously, with free shipping on almost everything, why in the world would I drag my two lovely children dining table shopping, when I can do it all comfortably from my own couch?

While I haven't ever purchased from dining rooms direct.com, I have recently purchased from Strollers.com.  I wasn't buying a new stroller, but I did need some accessories and replacement parts for our Bugaboo.  My Google search took me straight to exactly the product I wanted from Strollers.com.  The prices were reasonable and the shipping was free.  I had my replacement wheeled board in less than a week!  The whole transaction was completely painless, and if the need arises, I will definitely be returning to Strollers.com.  Sometime in the next month or so, I will have a review of a fun product from Swingsets and More.com, another CSNstore gem.  I wish I had checked out all Swingsets and More had to offer before we had our entire play set built in the backyard, although I'm sure Santa is going to be shopping there for some fun add-on accessories this December.

Whether it's dining room tables, stroller accessories or backyard fun you're shopping for, CSNstores.com has you covered!

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A Few of My Favorite Things: Tide Stain Release Duo Packs

When it comes to product packaging and brand loyalty, I would guess I'm pretty much a textbook case study.  I know that product packaging is designed to get me to buy things.  And, I know that I fall for it, too.  I'm also intensely loyal, as long as a product keeps me happy.  I don't necessarily buy what is on sale at the time, although you will find me stocking up when my favorite product is on sale.  I have no real idea why I have to buy Tide detergent.  I always have, and I always will.  Sure, I've used other detergents, but I always feel a little twinge of guilt for some reason, wondering if I'm really getting my clothes as clean as they can be, and avoiding unnecessary fading.  No, I'm really not kidding, and yes, feel free to call me completely crazy.  With a recent purchase of my beloved laundry detergent, I also got a trial pack of Tide's new Stain Release Duo Packs.  Now,  I've tried many of the different stain removal products out there and most work really well, but none have I ever felt so passionately about that I wanted to share until now.  I admit to spending the extra money on Tide's Stain Release Duo Packs because they really, really do work on all the messes my kids seem to make on their clothes.  Dirt, grass, poo, chocolate, berries.  You name it, and my kids have gotten it on a shirt.  When I was in Kansas this summer visiting my mom, Isaac got blackberries all over a new blue shirt.  My mom and I sprayed and sprayed and sprayed that shirt and sent it through the laundry three times trying to get those blackberries out.  At home, I wouldn't think twice about just washing it in with all the other clothes because I know those berries are coming out!  It's so painless to just throw a little Duo Pack in on top of the clothes.  I don't have to fool around with messy powders or dripping liquids either, although Tide Stain Release does come in three different forms.  Recently, I found some strangely packaged Duo Packs on the end cap of an aisle in Target on clearance.  I snagged two boxes, each with over 60 Duo Packs inside.  I think I'm set until at least Christmas!  :)  I'm very anxious to try the Duo Packs with Baby 3 in a couple of months.  I'm hoping to eliminate those icky buckets of baby poo covered onesies!

That's all for today.  Tomorrow I'll be back with a new site review, and maybe a peek at the new fall styles from See Kai Run.

    

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