Autism Moms Thursday Christmas

I know it has been a while since I have done an Autism Moms Thursday. Sorry about that. For this one, I thought we could share Christmas stories or pictures. Here are a couple of pictures from Christmas Eve at the in-laws. It was nice to see my kids and their cousins together. Of course, they had to figure out which presents were their's. If you want to participate in Autism Moms Thursday, copy the button above into your post and link your post below.

Wordless Wednesday I want Out

Christmas at the in-laws. My son and my nephew looked so cute, I couldn't resist taking this picture of them staring out the door together.

No Snow Man Here

 I visited my mother before Christmas, and unfortunately, this lighted snowman is the closest we got to snow!  There's none back home in our part of Northeast Texas either, but I did enjoy the snowman because it continually changed colors.  It was for decoration, but it would make a great nightlight for the holidays.

It's important to have nightlights for visiting company who aren't accustomed to the layout of the home.  It is also helpful for small children who may be scared spending the night away from home.

Snow is one of nature's beauties that I prefer to visit rather than live in, although I admit that having some temporarily is a nice addition to the holidays.  Snow provides many interesting items for collectibles.  Do you have a photo of a special snowman you'd like to share with us?

Small Talk Six 6 Gifts You Didn't Want

Today’s topic is “6 gifts you or someone in your house received that you’ve regifted or donated in the past.” You can answer this with a list of 6 words, 6 phrases, 6 sentences, 6 paragraphs, 6 photos, 6 videos, etc . . .

1. Donated: Jeff Gordan toddler boy outfit. My husband doesn’t like Gordan.

2. Donated: Duplicate toys. Over the years, there have been many duplicate Christmas gifts. We would keep one and donate the other one.

3. Regifted: Fragrant lotions. I was allergic to them, so I gave them to someone else to appreciate.

4. Regifted: Toys given to my son that were not appropriate for him because of his developmental age.

5. Regifted: Gift card to a restaurant that we wouldn’t be able to go to.

6. Regifted: Does it count when I give my son’s presents to my daughter because he wasn’t interested in them and she was?

That’s it. Not too bad.

Convicted Murderers Invited to Governor Perdue's Christmas Party

North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue needs to step down. Her values and performance since becoming Governor are not acceptable. She hosted a Christmas party at the Governor’s Mansion and had convicted killers on the guest list. This is coming right off of her publicly admonishing the justice system for releasing convicted killers from jail.

How can this woman say she is tough on crime and yet invited these prisoners to attend a party at the Governor’s Mansion? They will be getting a better Christmas dinner than most of us. Ten of the convicted felons were convicted of murder or manslaughter.

This is awful. They say that tax payers money was not used for the party. That it was paid for by money that collected from rental fees when guests visited the mansion. In my opinion, the money would have been better used to invite families that are struggling. Governor Perdue needs to step down.

She has completely messed up our economy in North Carolina. She turned against state employees by going against her promises of taking care of them. Instead, she cut salaries, cut vacations, and eliminated jobs. She has turned her back on the people she was elected to serve. She has been Governor for too long. It is time for someone new to step in and repair the damage she has done.

ABC and Disney's Prep and Landing

Premiering tonight on ABC at 8:30/7:30Central is Prep and Landing, a new movie from Disney. This appears to be a cute cartoon about Santa’s elves. You may recognize a few of the voices of the elves. Dave Foley, Sarah Chalke and Derek Richardson are three of the main character voices in the movie.

You can watch a clip of the movie on the Disney website Unlike the Christmas classic cartoons of the past, this one does not center on Santa. Instead, it centers on the cute little elves and how they prepare everything for Christmas Eve and prep each house for Santa’s arrival.

This new Disney movie combines the classic elements of Santa and Christmas with computer technology and the world of spys. I think that this will be a great movie to watch year after year. I am looking forward to watching it with my kids. However, it comes on after their bedtime, so I will have to record it for them.

Zhu Zhu Pets ( ZuZu Pets Recall )

The big news going around surrounding the Zhu Zhu Pets (or ZuZu if you spell like my daughter) being recalled is a rumor. So far, they are not. As I have previously posted, the manufacture of Zhu Zhu Pets says that their toys are safe. They have issued a full statement about their product and testing procedures.

I started following this story yesterday, after my mother-in-law called me and said that she had heard on the news that this new favorite toy was toxic. GoodGuide reported that their testing showed toxic levels of two contaminants in the toys. Ceppia, LLC denies these allegations and states that their toys are safe.

The question is, do you feel safe giving your child a Zhu Zhu Pet? My kids have one and several of the habitat sets. They love them. I can not take away this beloved toy based on GoodGuides testing. If other toy testers come out with the same findings, I would be more inclined to take my children's favorite toy away from them.

For now, I believe that these critters are safe. As long as my kids don't put them in their mouth, (which they don't) I don't see how they could be harmful.

No Recall on Zhu Zhu Pets or ZuZu Pets As My Daughter Spells Them

This is a quote from their website about the safety of the Zhu Zhu Pets. Please refer to my previous post for more information.

Manufacturer of Zhu Zhu Pets Confirms Safety of Mr. Squiggles Toy
and Offers Validation of Testing Protocol
Hottest toy of the holiday season passes the industry's most stringent consumer health
and safety certification standards
St. Louis (December 5) -- Cepia LLC, the manufacturer of Zhu Zhu Pets, says
that its Mr. Squiggles toy is “absolutely safe and has passed the most rigorous testing in
the toy industry for consumer health and safety.” This statement is in response to a report
made earlier today by Good Guide that alleges Mr. Squiggles contains unsafe levels of
antimony.
"We are disputing the findings of Good Guide and we are 100% confident that
Mr. Squiggles, and all other Zhu Zhu Toys, are safe and compliant with all U.S. and
European standards for consumer health and safety in toys”, said Russ Hornsby, CEO of
Cepia LLC.
“All our products are subjected to several levels of rigorous safety testing
conducted by our own internal teams, as well as the world’s leading independent quality
assurance testing organization, and also by independent labs engaged by our retail
partners,” Hornsby said. “The results of every test prove that our products are in
compliance with all government and industry safety standards.”
Test results show Mr. Squiggles, as well as all other Zhu Zhu Pets products, are
well within U.S. government standards and these results have been certified by the
world’s leading independent testing organizations.
Rigorous testing and inspection procedures are in place for all Zhu Zhu Pets
products to assure that the toys are completely safe. Working in conjunction with
representatives from governing toy industry and trade organizations, we have made
certain that all Zhu Zhu Pets products are regularly and frequently tested through an
independent testing service, Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services, the global
leader in Quality Assurance.
The Zhu Zhu Pets products are tested in laboratories several times during
production, and again before they ship from the factory. The testing laboratories that
conduct Zhu Zhu Pets product testing are accredited by the largest national and
international bodies and adhere to the strictest protocol for testing. In fact, all Zhu Zhu
Pets testing exceeds the levels for products distributed in the US, by passing the EN71
test required for products distributed in Europe.
"We are contacting the Good Guide people at this moment to share with them all
of our Mr. Squiggles and Zhu Zhu Pet testing data so we can get to the bottom of how
their report was founded,” Russ Hornsby said. "We want to assure everyone already
enjoying Mr. Squiggles or other Zhu Zhu Pets, and those planning to purchase Mr.
Squiggles or another Zhu Zhu Pet this holiday season, that the toy is 100 percent safe and
in compliance with all U.S. and European toy safety standards. I have been in the toy
industry for more than 35 years, and being a father of children myself, I would never
allow any substandard or unsafe product to hit the shelves. That’s why we always test to
not only meet but also exceed safety standards."

Are Zhu Zhu Pets Toxic? Recall Talk

My mother-in-law called me this morning about Zhu Zhu pets. My kids have one and she bought her great-grandson a couple. She told me that she saw on the news that they emit a dangerous toxic and wanted to know if I had heard anything about it.

I hadn't. I did a search and the only thing that I could find was on Good Guide. Good Guide says that they have a dangerous amount of tin and antimony. Tin can be harmful to the immune system and antimony can be linked to cancer, lung and heart problems.

This got me a little worried. I did some more searching, but have not been able to come up with anything. I am going to keep investigating this. I also ask that if any of my readers have heard anything about this, please leave me a comment. My mother-in-law is wanting to return the ones she bought and I need to decide if I need to get rid of the one my kids have. They absolutely love their Zhu Zhu pet, so I really don't want to.

Update: You can view the Zhu Zhu Pets response to the allegations of their toys being toxic by reading my follow up post.

Stress Free Holiday Entertaining

Trend reports tell us home entertaining is on the rise. Parents are busier than ever, but don't want to miss out on the opportunity to create memorable moments for their children, friends and family. To make that special connection that only comes when entertaining in your home.

So what if you, your friends or family are entertaining challenged, strapped for time, money or short or inspiration.

We’ve discovered Memorable Entertaining, a unique online, one-stop resource, that pulls together all the elements you will need -- whether hosting a kid's party, a casual get together for friends, a holiday gathering for family or a romantic dinner for that special someone in their lives.

For only $6.25 per month ($5.41 between now at December 25, 2009) you have access to over 50+ centerpiece ideas, 40+ tablescapes, seasonal menus with downloadable grocery lists, how-to videos plus much, much more. Fresh ideas are added weekly.

It’s like having your very own 'Entertaining Coach' available to you 24/7!

Debra Kavalos-Delaney, creator and owner of MemorableEntertaining.com, shares some quick and easy tips to help make your holiday entertaining stress free, whatever your budget or experience as a host or hostess.

The holidays are a busy time. Send invitations out 4 to 6 weeks in advance.

Select a combination of make-ahead appetizers that can be frozen or made one to two days in advance. (We have a section devoted to ‘Make Ahead Appetizers’ & check out our ‘Time Savers’ section for pre-made foods that give you the option of choosing foods that require little or no preparation.)

Opt for one-meal dishes, such as stews, pot roasts, pastas. This eliminates the need for multiple side dishes. One-meal dishes have an added plus because most can be made a day in advance and taste better! (View full menus with downloadable grocery lists.)

Pair your one-meal dish with a stand out salad, which acts as your vegetable.

Bake holiday goodies that will last the season, such as peanut brittle, fudge, toffee, ginger snaps and biscotti. Most cookies or cookie dough can be stored in the freezer up to 6-months.

Out of town guests: Set up a ‘breakfast bar’ before you go to bed. Include mugs, plates, bowls, napkins, sugar, tea bags, hot chocolate packets, jellies, cereals and packets of instant cereal. All you have to do in the morning is turn on the coffee pot and put out a selection of breads, such as muffins, bagels, English muffins, etc. and pitchers of milk and juice. Let your guests serve themselves. (See our section on preparing for ‘Houseguests’.)

Create holiday centerpieces with versatility in mind. Opt for centerpieces that can remain on your dining room and kitchen tables throughout the holiday entertaining season and complement both formal and informal table settings. . (View 50+ Centerpiece ideas and over 40 tablescapes under ‘The Elegant Table’ on our web home.)

Use fruits, vegetables, nuts, pinecones, feathers or different sized glass cylinders filled with holiday ornaments.

Preserve holiday greenery: soak overnight, re-cut stems, use a mixture of one-part glycerin, one-part water to keep greens pliable, avoid direct sunlight, place away from heat ducts and mist lightly with water. Spray greens with an anti-transpirant to seal in moisture. Select greens such as Western Cedar and Fir, which hold up better over time.




MemorableEntertaining.com

Between now and December 25, 2009 Learning Felt readers can enjoy $10 off a First Year Membership or Gift Membership. Use code 23997299.

Reporting for Duty: A day at the White House Book Review

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love to read. I enjoy losing myself in a good book. You can visit new places and learn about all kinds of things when you take time read. I have tried to instill a love for books in my children. We read together everyday. I love to take my kids to the library and let them pick out books to check out.

Any time I am given the opportunity to review a children’s book, I do so. I was offered the opportunity to review and keep the book “Reporting for Duty, A Day at the White House,” written by H.K. Gilbert. This is a story told from the perspective of Barkley, a secret service dog. The dog takes you on a tour of the White House, and provides a unique take on what goes on in this grand house. He also provides bits of historical facts through out the story.

This book is more than a story. It is also a learning tool. It is a coloring and activity book. You can use it to help teach colors to your child. It helps with object recognition, following directions, and reading comprehension and retention.

The pictures in the book are simple drawings. I would have liked to see more detail in the drawings. The story itself is engaging. The author makes learning about the White House fun. I think it is a nice learning tool for teaching children that are visual and hands on learners. If you copy the pages, you can use them over and over again to teach your child.

I am constantly doing the same activity repetitively with my son to improve his fine motor skills. Coloring and writing are very difficult for him. The improvement that I have seen in this area is due to repetitive work. It also helps to present work in different ways. I like that this is an activity book that will work on his coloring skills, while addressing an academic need. I think it is important that he learns about the White House. It is a very important part of all American citizens.

I think this book would make a nice Christmas present for any young child. The MSR price on the back is $9.95. I checked around and you can get it online at Barnes & Noble for $8.95.

Book: Reporting for Duty: A day at the White House
H.K. Gilbert
Author & Illustrator
Price: $9.95
Ages: 5-9 yrs.

Hellmann's Real Holiday Helpings Website and (Giveaway Closed)

Hellmann’s has a great new site up for the holidays. They have paired with Bobby Flay, an awesome chef, to bring us great recipes for the holidays. Plus, there are coupons available on the site for Hellman’s. There is also an awesome giveaway for free groceries and videos with Bobby Flay demonstrating his recipes with Hellmann’s mayonnaise. I love this, because you not only get to watch him make the dish, you can also print out the recipe.

On the site, you can play games each day for a chance to win a $50 Grocery Gift Card and free groceries for a year. This is separate from the sweetstakes you can enter on the site for free groceries for a year.

Now, I didn‘t see my favorite recipe using Hellmann‘s Mayonnaise. It is for devilled eggs. It is such an easy recipe. I don’t do any measuring, thought. I have been using this recipe for so long, that I do it by sight. Actually, it is a recipe that I learned from my mom. I don’t recall her ever using a printed recipe or measuring anything out for it, either. I use 6 - 12 eggs, depending on how many people I am feeding. I place the eggs into a pot of water with a little bit of salt. This makes it a little easier to peel the eggs. I boil the eggs until done.

Next, I cook up about a half pound of bacon until crispy. I lay out the bacon onto a paper towel to soak up the excess grease. I take the eggs and peel all of them. Then, I take out a plate and a bowl. I cut each egg in half and scoop out the yolk. I place the halves onto the plate. When I have all of the eggs cut in half, and the yolks in a bowl, I add some mayonnaise to the yolk and stir. I put enough mayonnaise into it to give it a creamy consistency. I take the cooked bacon and crumble them up into the yolk/mayonnaise mixture, then stir. All that is left is to scoop the mixture into the waiting egg halves and voila. I’m done. It’s a simple recipe, but oh so yummy.

BSM Media gave me the opportunity to write about Hellmann’s Real Holiday Helpings site. In return for writing about it, they are giving me a $25 American Express gift card. Not only that, they are going to give one of my readers one, too.

Giveaway: This giveaway will be a little different from the ones I usually run. You can get one entry, and one entry only in this giveaway. You must live in the US and the giveaway begins today and ends December 9, 2009. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling me what your favorite dish is that you use Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise in. Good luck.

Wordless Wednesday Christmas Ornament

This is my son's favorite ornament. It plays music and turns. I wasn't going to take it out this year, but he found it.

I'm Really Not Tired Book Review

I was sent the book “ I’m Really Not Tired“, written by Lori Sunshine and illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler, to review and keep. First, doesn’t the title sound familiar? I mean, if you have a child, it has to sound just a little bit familiar. I know that my daughter has says those words to me more times than I can count. It’s a phrase that all parents get used to hearing from their young child.

Children can be very creative when it comes to getting out of going to sleep at night. My daughter uses all of tricks in the book. “I’m hungry,” “ I’m thirsty,” and of course, when all else fails, “I’m not tired.” The main character in this book is a little boy named Sam and he insists that he is not tired. He is also convinced that when he goes to sleep, his parents are having all kinds of fun. He grabs his teddy bear, Petey Bear, and the two of them sneak downstairs, determined to catch his parents having fun without him.

I really enjoy sitting with my daughter and reading this book. She loves the silly scenarios the little boy in the book comes up with. We both love the illustrations. This will be a book that we will enjoy and treasure for a long time. It is fun to read and the words and pictures capture my little girl’s imagination. It is so easy to imagine that it is my little girl this book is written about.

How many times have you thought that your child doesn’t want to go to sleep because he or she is afraid of missing out on fun? I am always saying that to my husband about our daughter. This reasoning in the character Sam’s thinking is just one of the things that I love about the book. Holding my daughter in my arms while we are reading this book, is a memory I will always treasure. I love listening to her giggle at the funny parts. We keep this book within easy reach for bedtime. It is fast becoming a bedtime ritual for us. If you are looking for a really good book to buy for your child this Christmas, I recommend this one. “I’m Really Not Tired” will captivate your child and give you many nights of wonderful memories.

Toy of the Year Awards

This time of year, we take a long, hard look at toys. Our children have created their wish list of the latest “hot” toy of the year. New toys are hitting the shelf and we ask ourselves “Are they safe?” and “Are they appropriate for our child?” We check all over the internet for toys that are on the recall list in order to make sure we don’t buy that one for our child. We hunt out the “in” toys for the year. This year, I can’t afford to get that many gifts for my kids. A couple each will be it. That’s why I like these two sites that I am writing about today. Studying both sites will give me the ability to pick out the best toys for my money . I will be able to go out and buy a couple of “popular” toys, yet still remain in budget and be assured that they are safe and developmentally appropriate.

There are two sites that can answer all of your questions. First, to locate the top toys on the market now, you can visit TOTY (Toy of The Year). Whatever category of toys you are looking for, you will find the best listed here. From toys for boys to toys that are educational, this site will have the top toys listed in each category, who makes it, what it does and what the MSR is.

The second site, ToyInfo.org, gives you all the information you need for toy safety. You get the latest in recalls and safety guidelines you should follow when purchasing a toy for your child. I like the Stages of Play list that they have. Through the years, it has been difficult to purchase toys for my son. Intellectually, he is 10, but his fine motor skills are extremely below that. Toys are usually labeled by age, so it is nice to be able to look at a list and see what developmental skills are attributed to that age range.

You can also go and vote for your favorite toy in each category at Toy Awards. After you vote, you can enter to win all of the toys in one of the categories. The winner will be notified January 31st, 2010. Good luck.

Fun with K'NEX Toys

As a Team Mom, I was given the opportunity to review two toys from K’NEX, K’NEX 400 Pieces Tub and Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection Building Set. After reviewing, I get to keep these for my kids. I let my son do this review with me. He even let me record him with the Sesame Street set.

The K’NEX 400 pieces Tub is for children 7 years old and older. My son is ten, but his fine minor skills are delayed. We different have that much luck with this toy, but it did show me some areas that my son needs to work on. He was also interested in playing with it. Although he did not have the dexterity to put the tiny pieces together, he showed me where he wanted them, and I would put them together. This is a good toy for children that love to build things and have the fine motor skills of a child that is at least seven years old.

The Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection Building set is for children 2 - 5 years old. We received the 123 Brownstone Building Set from the collection. This was a big success. The big pieces were a lot easier for him to manipulate. He was putting them together, all by himself. Afterwards, he had no problem taking them back apart. The video below is him playing with it in front of the camera. I couldn’t get the whole thing to upload. I had to edit it down to get it to upload into blogger. I did notice problems with his OCD. He placed most of the windows on top of each other. I loved how he actually played independently with these. He also didn’t get frustrated whenever he had a little problem putting them together. I give this set a big thumbs up.

K’NEX is giving their customers a chance to win $1,000 worth of K’NEX Building Sets and to be featured on the KNEX.com site. The contest runs from November th thru December 7th, 2009 on their site. This is a video contest and you can visit K’NEX for the rules and to submit your video. Good luck.

ONEHOPE Wine Supports Autism

It makes me feel good when I hear about a company that gives 50% of it’s profits to a charity. When one of the charities is related to Autism, I get excited. To find a company that does this in this economy is a wonderful thing. When Ben Decker of peakPRGroup contacted me about his client, ONEHOPE Wine, I was intrigued. ONEHOPE Wine doesn’t just sell wine, they support important causes.

They sell five different types of wines. Each one is dedicated to support a specific cause.
Cabernet Sauvignon - Autism
Chardonnay - Breast Cancer
Merlot - AIDS
Sauvignon Blanc - The Planet
Zinfandel - Our Troops

They have a sixth wine coming out that will have 50% of it’s sales go to charities fighting Cancer. It is their Pinot Noir and can be reserved now. Their will only be 100 cases available for purchase and is on sale for $24.99 a bottle or $299.88 a case. Also, they only charge 1 cent for orders of 12 bottles or more.

“Why Cabernet Sauvignon and Autism Awareness?
Generally, Cabernet Sauvignon is the varietal of choice for the male wine drinker. We chose to pair our Cabernet Sauvignon with Autism awareness because recent statistics show that four in every five cases of Autism affects the male gender. Autism affects 1 in every 150 children. “

I asked Tom Leahy, President of ONEHOPE Wine how much ONEHOPE Wine has donated to Autism charities, and he replied,

“We have donated about $7,500 to the Autism cause, and have donated over 40 cases of ONEHOPE Cabernet to support Autism charity events, just in the past two years. We hope to trump this amount in the coming year.”

ONEHOPE Wine is a young company, incorporated in 2006, and it is quickly taking off. It launched it’s first label in 2007. Originally, the company was named HOPE Wine, and they changed their name to ONEHOPE Wine to better represent the company and it’s mission. Currently, ONEHOPE Wine is available in 14 states at restaurants and stores. In 33 states, you can order online and have it shipped to you. They are a privately owned company with eight owners/partners. They are Sarah Gora, Vice President, Blake Petty, Chief Operations Officer, Alysse Ann Gome, Vice President, Brandon Hall, Chief Marketing Officer, Tiffany Goodman, Executive V.P. of Sales, Jake Kloberdanz, Chief Executive Officer, Kristen Senseman, Vice President, Tom Leahy, President.

“ONEHOPE Wine is currently available in restaurants and stores in the following 14 states:
Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon and Washington.
ONEHOPE Wine can be purchased online and shipped to the following 33 states:
Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming”

With three big holidays just around the corner, now is the perfect time to support your favorite cause (I hope Autism). I like to drink a glass of wine on Christmas Eve, and my mother-in-law usually buys a bottle or two for the ladies in the family to enjoy. I sent her a message the other day about ONEHOPE Wine so that this year she can buy this label and support Autism. Since the Cabernet Sauvignon is considered a man’s wine, maybe the men in the family will join us in our holiday tradition. When we lift our glasses and toast to the future, we can do so knowing we are helping to raise money for Autism and helping my son.
For more information, or to purchase wine, visit www.ONEHOPEwine.com or call 1-866-983-2266

Autism and Advent

written by Erin Jameson

Developing communication skills with young autistic children presents itself with many challenges and hurdles. Young autistic children understand and cooperate best when multiple senses are stimulated. Children with behavior and communication difficulties are often visual learners. Making learning and communication fun is the ideal and most beneficiary way to develop these skills.
Thinking of fun games that involve communication, memory, explaining, coordination etc. will create a less stressful and threatening environment which in turn will promote learning.

The Christmas Advent Calendar is a great place to start. The calendar is online and it’s free. Each day there is a new game/activity that is great for young children.
The games draw on the following skills: memory, cooperation, higher thinking, art, and creativity.

Some examples of games you’ll find include:

· Christmas Trees & Candy Canes (Chutes and Ladders)
· Coloring Pages that can be cut out
· Mazes
· Word searches
· Memory Games
· Trivia

The advent calendar is now running. See it at: http://www.optimalprint.co.uk/christmas-advent-calendar

Christmas with Mattel Toys

I am excited to share this review with everyone. Mattel has sent me the following toys to review:

Avatar Vehicle RDA Grinder
Avatar Creatures Dire Horse
Avatar Basic Action Figure Jake Sully
Matchbox Mega Rig Pirate Ship



These are considered boy toys, but I know of at least one little girl that would love them (yes, my daughter). But, I’m not writing this review from her point of interest. This one is about using these toys with my son.

My son doesn’t “play” with toys. He likes them, hoards them, displays them, but doesn’t actually play with them. Now that I am home schooling him, I want to take time each day and try to develop this childhood skill. Easier said than done, right? Well, these toys are inspiring me.

The movie “Avatar” comes out in December. I am looking forward to watching it. I don’t know if it will be appropriate for the kids, so I will arrange for my husband and I to watch it without the kids to determine if they are old enough to watch it. My son might be, but I don’t think my daughter is.




I think these toys will be good for one on one floor play. I love that the Pirate Ship can be put together in about 30 different configurations. No, we have not discovered them all, but we will work on that. This is a great OT/fine motor skill activity. I think it is better for my son to play with this than legos because you can easily see that the pieces are to make a ship. Plus, with my son also having OCD, he just has to have the pieces together.





The Avatar toys are great. I recommend taking these out of the boxes and wrapping them up for Christmas. Your child will appreciate being able to immediately play with them. I also love the I-tags. These are plastic cards that come with the toys and you use them on your computer. You need to have a webcam in order to use these. I was tickled at how my son reacted to the Dire Horse I-tag. When you go onto their website and activate an I-tag, you are able to see a 3-D image of the character on your card on your computer screen. It’s hard to describe. You really need to go onto their website and watch their demo to understand or buy one of the Avatar toys with an I-tag and try it out for yourself.

Story Time Felts for Christmas

I don't say much about my business on here, because that isn't what my blog is about. I have my little LearningFelt advertisement button on my sidebar and I have done one post about using felt boards with kids, but today I want to do a little more. Christmas is right around the corner and we are all looking for the right presents for our children.

With Story Time Felts, you can give your child a fun and creative learning toy that is interactive and can promote communication, learning skills, and imagination. If you are looking to make some money, you can also sign up to sell Story Time Felts products while the kits are on sale.

I started selling STF because of my son. The felt boards and figures are high quality, can be washed, and store easily. Currently, there are several Christmas themed felt board sets and figures on sale.
What’s On Sale in November?

Order early! Deadlines for Christmas regular ground are:
East Coast -- December 11
Mid West -- December 15
West Coast -- December 17
Product is shipped from Utah.



4207 Advent Calendar a $5 Savings!

Uncut $19.99, Pre-cut $22.99

Start your tradition of counting down the days until Christmas as Mary and Joseph take a step towards Bethlehem each day. There are also figures that can be used to tell the Christmas story. Set includes Velcro, 18” x 30” background and 9 figures.










4209 Christmas Tree Advent a $3 Savings!















Uncut $11.99, Pre-cut $14.99

Your children can count the days to Christmas as you decorate the house and tree. When the all the decorations are place, it’s Christmas! Set includes Velcro, 25 figures, background and literature explaining each symbol of Christmas.








4208 T’was the Night Before Christmas a $3 Savings!

Uncut $10.99, Pre-cut $14.99

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without telling this classic story! You can purchase it alone or with the Let’s Play House and use that background.









770647 Let’s Play House Deluxe a $12 Savings!




Wow! What a savings! You get the T’was the Night Before Christmas, plus the Let’s Play House, board, figures, and CD! Not only will you have a classic Christmas story, you will have hours of fun year round playing house! Board is 23” x 23”, over 80 figures and a CD that sings songs about safety and manners.



6317 It’s Christmas! Toggle a $5 Savings!

Uncut $17.99, Pre-cut $19.99

Perfect for keeping the little ones busy as they wait for Christmas day. Cozy up with this fun toggle and decorate the tree, hang stockings, make cookies, and dress Santa, all in felt.


I would love to welcome in seven new Consultants this month. The Story Time Felts Business Starter Kits will REMAIN ON SALE during the month of November 2009. Are you ready to join my team and help sell this imaginative and educational product to parents and teachers in your area? Contact me to sign up with one of the following Starter Kits while they are on sale!


Business Basics—SAVE $15

This kit contains are the literature and paper things you need to promote your business. The only felt that is included are samples of the thank you gifts. Business Basics is regularly $75 plus $10 shipping and tax.
This kit includes:

Activation Fee for a year

Customer Order Forms

Wish List

Consultant Order Forms

Consultant Applications

Catalogs

Postcard Invitations

Hostess Guides

Ask Me Why Brochures

Information Sleeves

Sample Door Hangers

Name Badge

Hostess Party Envelope

Information Cards

Consultant Manual

Planner (while quantities last)

Just Like Me Order Forms

Thanks You Gift Sample



Business Basics PLUS--SAVE $20

This kit contains the items from the Business Basics kit plus a few samples of product. The cost is regularly $110 uncut, $124 precut, $15 shipping plus tax.

Sm Tall Tales Board

Sm Paul Bunyan Story

Tall Tales CD

Classic Rhyme Toggle with Nursery Rhyme CD

ABC Train

Sample JLM Girl Doll

Sample Color My Own Girls Clothes

Hostess Community Helper Doll

Current Community Clothes



Starter Kit—SAVE $25

This kit and the Power Start Kits are the best buy for the money. The prices have not changed even when we had our price increase this spring. The Starter Kit includes everything that is in the Business Basics kit and these products:

Grandma’s Favorites CD

Down on the Farm Activity Book

Animal Tales

Pet Pals Toggle

The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly

Duffle Bag

STF Board Bag

LG Grandma’s Favorites

Finger Plays Fun with CD

Girl Clothes

Set of 5 Girl Dolls

The prices for the Starter Kit is regularly $175 uncut, $209 pre-cut, shipping$29.90 plus tax.



Power Start Kit—SAVE $30

This kit is even more extensive. It includes everything in the Business Basics kit, the Starter Kit and these products:

Toy Counter CD

Toy Counter Math Set

Wacky Learning Book

Prehistoric Pals

International Costumes

Birth of Jesus

File Case & 5 Velour Sheets

Dinosaur Set

The price is regularly $250 uncut, $318 pre-cut, shipping $45.10 plus tax.