Hand-made items are great, especially when you make them yourself.  You can buy hand-made items too, which can become expensive.

In the past, we have given coasters that were hand-painted by my boys; calendars made of family photographs; bird houses built and painted by my boys and pottery, also made by my boys.

This year I’ve had a few hand-painted ornaments made and I hope to have my boys make a few things for various people before it gets too close to Christmas.  Framed pictures are always a nice gift, especially if the picture is of someone you love and care about.

I have yet to decide what sentimental items to give to my two boys.  They are only 7 and 8….plus being boys they aren’t exactly gushy over too much.

I would love to hear some ideas of special mementos that you may have given in the past or ideas for what you are giving this year for whatever you celebrate in your life.

What special gift have you given or will you give that has evoked sentiment, joy and surprise?

Order before December 31st, 2010, and we’ll take 20% off your whole purchase!  Use coupon code Win2010 for your discount at checkout.

Shop from all of our “Made In The USA” products.  From Toddler Pillows, to Bed Bumpers for Big Kids, to our famous Kidz Heat & Cool Packs made of all natural cherry pits, a safe alternative to standard ice packs…you will love our products!

Happy shopping and sleep well.

-Rae Lynn @ Kidz Comfort

Water toys are huge at my house.   It’s the best way to stay cool on those hot summer days. You can never have too many Sprinklers.  This year we are eying the water slides.

Like most people, my children are so totally different, so we often find ourselves buying them things at both ends of the spectrum.  I have the athlete and the artist.  Thankfully, they both love the water!  But, to keep my artist entertained, we find ourselves buying Sidewalk Chalk by the pound.  To keep the athlete entertained, we are starting to venture into newer outdoor games, such as ladder toss and also volleyball and dodge ball has recently become a HUGE game that the whole family gets involved in.

Whatever your kids are into, there are tons of things for you to keep them outside and off the video games.  Best of all, you can play them all as a family and get some needed fresh air.

Happy shopping and have a great summer!

Rae Lynn @ Kidz Comfort

As I hit my 40’s I’ve noticed that my body is not what it used to be. I’m sure you can relate…as we get older, some things just don’t look or work the same. Well, my issue is with my back and neck. I was frequently stiff and often times pulled muscles just by bending or moving the wrong way.

It was time to begin a routine that would stop this stiffness, muscle aches and pains.

I swore up and down that I would not give in and allow my kids to start playing video games at such a young age. After all, they are only 5 and 6 years old. There will be plenty of time to let them become video addicts.

Well, guess what “Santa” brought this year! A Wii!

To my surprise, I am enjoying it sooo much. With some extra Christmas money that our family received we went out and purchased Wii Fit Plus. I LOVE IT!

Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board is game software for the Nintendo Wii, and can include the balance board. It is designed to help stay on a fitness routine and have fun doing it.

When we first purchased the Wii Fit Plus I set up my profile and added a goal for myself. Not a hard one, but one that I could actually attain. All this is done directly through WFP (Wii Fit Plus). I also created a routine that I felt I could handle and then modify as I got better at it.

Each morning, I turn on my WFP and do my body analysis. It tracks my progress and tells me what I need to do to meet my goal. It measures my BMI, weight, and can even track my calories.

I then head over to my personal trainer and do the routine that I had set up for myself. It is 30 minutes of stretching yoga poses and also strength training. After that, I do some aerobic activities that are also a lot of fun: Hula Hoop, rhythm boxing, step aerobics, etc.

Besides the great routines you can set up, you can also do tons of balancing and coordination games. From ski jumping, snow ball fighting, soccer heading, skateboarding, biking, running, Segway racing…the list goes on and on.

The best part is that my kids are exercising along with me. They aren’t just sitting on the couch with a controller. They are up and moving around. Our whole family has Wii nights now where we compete in tennis, baseball, bowling and more.

I cannot say enough about it. It was well worth the money. I wake up with much more energy, my back is no longer stiff and sore and my balance is better, making my posture better as well.

So, if you still have doubts, send me a note and I’ll tell you everything I’ve experienced so far with our own Wii Fit Plus.

Best money we have spent in a long time.

Here is another review of the Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board:

Stuff to Love

Thanks!

-raelynn @ Kidz Comfort

PS: There are affiliate links within this email, so keep in mind that if you actually purchase a Wii Fit Plus through the links included above, I will receive a very small commission. This is not why I wrote the post though….I truly do LOVE my Wii Fit Plus!

You will be shocked to see this video.  It is almost hard to comprehend.  The Kid-Safe Chemicals Act will change the current, and very lenient, regulations for new chemicals that are used in our environment, in our food and in our personal care products.  An overhaul of our nation’s chemical regulatory law is CRITICAL.

See the facts about babies that are being born pre-polluted with as many as 300 industrial chemicals in their bodies when they enter the world.  It is frightening…

Like many Americans, we are on a tighter budget this year, so we are looking for great gifts at reasonable prices.  We are thinking long and hard about our choices.  Will they truly be interested in this item, enough to make the price worth paying?  Can we see them using it for more than a few months?  Is it age appropriate?

With these concerns in mind, we have made a top 10 list for Christmas gift ideas for children between the ages of 4 and 8 years old.  Of course, use your own judgement with regards to how your own kids will understand and be able to use these suggestions.

1. Mouse Trap Game is a great gift to help enhance a child’s coordination and thinking skills.  Our boys LOVE this game.
2. Why Don’t Eyelashes Grow Book…I don’t know about your kids, but my kids never stop asking questions.  A large percentage of the time I cannot even answer the questions, so what better way to find the explanations than this great book.  It is both educational and fun!
3. Monopoly Junior is another great board game that teaches more than just FUN!  It’s simplistic design is great for kids just learning to count, add and subtract.  My kids actually learned about money as well. 
4. Marble Mania Genius is really cool and one of our favorite picks for this Christmas.  This is a great way to bring the little architect out of your child. 
5. Ultimate LEGO Building Set is yet another way to encourage strategy; and the whole family can build together.  The designs are endless!
6. ScienceWiz Chemistry Experiments Kit is a winner!  My 5-yr old is constantly begging for his own science kit, so after much research, this kit is the perfect addition to his desire to learn about science.
7. Leapfrog Leapster Learning Game System gets very high ratings in my book.  I know my son would be thrilled with this game, and it is a learning hand-held game system to boot!  The best of both worlds.
8. IlluStory Make Your Own Story has to be one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time.  Your child actually writes and illustrates their own story, including the cover and biography, then sends it back to the company to be made into a hardcover book for keepsake.  What a fantastic idea!
9. Melissa & Doug Underwater Floor Puzzle will be a GREAT addition to my 4-yr old son’s collection.  He is obsessed with Melissa & Doug puzzles.  We have collected 6 versions so far.  They range from easy to very difficult and he loves them all…some are educational as well, such as his favorite, The Human Anatomy.
10. Planet Heroes Action Figure Gift Set is sure to please my 4-yr old as well.  He LOVES Planet Heroes and Ace is his favorite.  It’s nice to find action heroes that are not depicted as violent and don’t come with dangerous weapons attached.

I hope you’ve found this to be helpful in your Christmas shopping quest.  For more shopping ideas, visit Amazon.com Toys & Games…they carry almost everything!  Be sure to take advantage of their super saver shipping. 

And, if you haven’t heard of this yet, Amazon.com now offers Frustration Free Shopping!  I am certain that you can related to the hour long struggle trying to get those little metal twisties undone, as if you were trying to get into Fort Knox.  Well, now they offer frustration-free packaging for your convenience!  Great news.

Take care!

raelynn @ Kidz Comfort

Visit Main Squeeze Tees Today!

I have come across a fantastic site!  Here is an excerpt from their About Us page:

Every couple goes through the process of getting familiar with each other.  At some point you get to a place where you know what your partner will say before they say it.  Or you think something at the very moment your partner speaks it. 

MainSqueezeTees is about those responses, actions, playful antics, that you come to know and appreciate or maybe tolerate about your partner.  Read More…

Really, if you have a great sense of humor and you are in one of those relationships, you have got to visit this site!  MainSqueezeTees.com

Enjoy!

raelynn @ Kidz Comfort