Search Results for: blog could it be the next hula hoop

Fitness & Your Hula Hoop

Does your child hula hoop? Before the Nintendo age, the hula hoop was a hit on every child’s block. I owned three of them and I could hoop with all three. My daughter has a pair of hoops and she loves to hoop herself, though she complains she’s not that good at it yet. They do hoops at her school, not as much as she would like, but they do have them there. Yet hula hooping seems to be a dying art for kids’ fun, but that’s okay, adults like me are getting back into the hooping at their fitness … Continue reading →

Could It Be The Next Hula Hoop?

Recently, my co-blogger, Libby posted an article about the hula-hoop’s role in the world of popular culture. Kids’ playthings have certainly made their mark on pop culture and each year toy makers take a stab at creating new products that may impact society the way items like hula-hoops have. Potential candidates were unveiled this week at the American International Toy Fair in New York. The annual event is the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere and this year more than 1,500 toy manufacturers, importers and sales agents came in from 30 countries to show off their new goods. … Continue reading →

Seasonal Parent-Child Bonding on the Cheap

A winter storm watch has been issued for my neck of the woods.  Meteorologists are predicting nearly eight inches of the white stuff will fall in less than 24 hours.  As a parent, who was born and raised in Hawaii, and despises the snow and cold, I am really not looking forward to dealing with icy roads and below freezing temperatures.  Still, my kid is a Wisconsinite, so I have to do what any good mother would do—suck it up. Sacrifice; it’s the hallmark of good parenting, right? Winter presents a unique challenge for many parents.  Some days, Mother Nature’s … Continue reading →

Toys from Our Past: Clackers

I know that I am giving my age away, but I wanted to mention some very interesting things that I found out about Clackers the other day. Does anyone remember this extremely dangerous toy that was sold from the late 60s and the early 70s? Clackers consisted of two long strings, approximately 12 inches in length tied to a single ring that was about two inches in diameter. Now that is really not the dangerous aspect of this toy that I am referring to even though we all now that those strings may be dangerous when placed in the hands … Continue reading →

Football Fun for Kids

It’s down to the final four in the NFL. The Jets, Colts, Vikings and Saints go head-to-head this weekend to see who will duke it out in Super Bowl XLIV. It’s great news for rabid football fans, but what about the kids of fanatical football fans? At most football viewing parties the kiddos are relegated to the basement while the adults whoop it up in front of the big screen. This year why not try something a little different and get the kids involved in the party? Believe it or not there are fun ways to include kids in game … Continue reading →

It’s a Barbie and Bratz Smackdown

It seemed inevitable that the two toy titans would clash. No, I don’t mean Superman and Batman, but Barbie and those annoying Bratz! And, millions of hard earned consumer dollars are at stake. I just heard of this doll catfight recently, but the trial has been going on for about a month now. Mattel Inc. has brought an infringement case against Bratz manufacturers MGA Entertainment Inc. Mattel claimed that 39 year old Bratz creator, Carter Bryant, created the Bratz dolls and name while still working for them as a Barbie designer. Mattel brought out the big guns to prove their … Continue reading →

Happy Smurf Day!

Okay, I admit… I was into the Smurfs. The little blue guys captured my heart and a good chunk of my allowance as a kid. I owned a stuffed Smurfette and once spent all my birthday money on an entire set of 2-inch tall plastic Smurf figurines that included Papa Smurf, Handy Smurf, Jokey Smurf, Vanity Smurf, Farmer Smurf, Baker Smurf, even Sassette. So when I heard my former blue pals were celebrating the big 5-0 I immediately thought: I’m old! Fifty years and Smurfette doesn’t look a day over 18. It’s true; I saw her on TV last night … Continue reading →

How TV and Movies Have Infiltrated the World of Toys

There are two items on my 3-year-old’s Christmas list that she would be crushed if Santa did not bring her—-a minivan for her dollhouse and Squawkers McCaw the talking parrot. Interestingly, they are among the only toys in all of Toyland that are not tied to a movie or TV show. (Though, for the amount of times we’ve seen that Squawkers commercial, he might as well have had his own TV show.) If you have children or are shopping for kids this Christmas, you understand what I’m talking about. From action figures to bicycles to books, stuffed animals, Play-Doh and … Continue reading →

The Cube Challenge

Remember the Rubik’s Cube? If you grew up in the 1980s you likely were as addicted to the mechanical puzzle as I was. The colorful 3×3 cube invented in 1974 by engineer Erno Rubik ignited a pop culture craze in the decade made famous by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and plastic jelly shoes. Today, those same jelly shoes have gone out of fashion, but the popularity of the Rubik’s cube lives on. In fact, this weekend, hundreds of puzzle junkies are in Budapest for the fourth annual Rubik’s Cube world championship–a three-day event offering big prizes to people who can solve … Continue reading →

Introducing My Family

It’s good to be back up and running here at the adoption blog, and great to be working with Rachel. I will miss hearing about Ed’s boys, but I’m thrilled for Rachel’s newest addition (and addition-to-be!) The final two blogs of my series on children’s books with adoption themes are now published, so I invite you to check them out! It’s occurred to me that, while I’ve shared important pieces of our family’s story and some of my feelings along the way, I’ve tended to be more informational and reflective in my writing. I don’t intend to change that, but … Continue reading →