Back to School with Playmobil

Ever since R. spotted this Playmobil Furnished School Building in a 2010 Playmobil catalog, she has been obsessed with getting it. This year, for her 8th birthday, I gave in. She loves it--so it was worth the price, effort, and back pain from assembly. Like most larger Playmobil sets, it is a lot of work to put together, and there will always, apparently, be teeny tiny pieces floating around (microscropic milk cartons, anyone?) But at this time of year, especially, she and her little bro are having a blast playing "school" with it. This particular set, an update of an older Playmobil school model, contains lots of classic accessories (a spinning globe, a skeleton, a microscope, etc.) as well as some more modern amenities (a computer lab with laptops). The smaller pieces are fun for the kids to help put together. R. especially loves the erasable chalkboard (she wrote, "Welcome to First Grade" on it). I do NOT recommend, however, letting your children "help" you assemble the main structure. Better to wait till they're asleep. Trust me on this! Buy it for $169.99 at Amazon.com.

Superhero Thank You Cards

S. was running low on thank-you notes so I ordered a small batch of these "It's a Superparty" thank you notes to match his Batman-themed 5th birthday party. They turned out super cute (I put his full name all in lowercase letters which, in my opinion, always looks better from a design perspective). These were also a good value since they were from Tiny Prints' lower-priced "Studio Basics" collection and cost as little as 84 cents per card. Need new thank-you notes for your little ones? Check out Tiny Prints' assortment of Personalized Thank You Notes.

Stand-Out School Supplies

Our affiliate Frecklebox.com has become an increasingly popular go-to site for personalized kids gifts, with good reasons (their best-selling storybooks and puzzles make truly unique gifts). Now, just in time for Back-to-School season, they have rolled out a bunch of products to make your kids' school supplies stand out. And, as I learned first-hand taking my almost-first-grader for school supplies, no kid wants a plain old notebook. Try these festive goodies instead.

Busy Bees Personalized Notebook ($9.95 each)

Zoo Animals Personalized Lunch Box ($26.95 each)

Giraffe Personalized School Folder ($4.95 each)


As you see, animal prints are on-trend again this Fall, but there are dozens of other designs available (both girls', boys' and unisex) if these particular ones don't appeal to you. Visit Frecklebox.com.

Now through August 31st, enter code "FBSCHOOL" at checkout to receive 10% off your entire order.

An eBeanstalk Coupon Code for You

I have a coupon code for eBeanStalk.com that I am not using; I'm not sure how many times it will work for other people, but it's worth a try! It's "THANKYOU15%" and it saves you 15% on an order before September 1, 2009. Wondering what you'd buy? Here are two ideas:

I just spotted eBeanstalk's Pushing Car ($159.95) by Haba. How much fun is this?? If you've got two kids, one can push and one can enjoy the ride, then they can switch (yeah, right). There's a two-position adjustable handle, seat cushion and removable fabric pockets for toting little treasures, too. And the rubber wheels won't destroy your floors!

Setting your sights a bit (s)lower? How about this super-cool, eco-friendly Pirate Ship by Plan Toys ($54.95)>? My sister gave this to S. for his birthday and it is a hit with both of my kids (in fact, I like playing with it too).


Visit eBeanStalk.com and try out coupon code "THANKYOU15%" for 15% off orders placed by September 1, 2009. Enjoy!

Beep Beep Redux

A while back I asked you all to help me choose which car-themed thank you notes to buy for my son. I ended up choosing these Beep Beep: Turquoise Thank You Cards ($.96 per card) by Dwell Studio at Tiny Prints and they look terrific. If you're in the market for new personalized thank-you notes for your kids (or birth announcements, party invitations, address labels, or gift tags), Tiny Prints is having a special Sitewide Sale where you save 10% and get free shipping on orders $75 or more with code "AUGEMAIL". So now's a good time to buy. Browse around at Tiny Prints.

Use code "AUGEMAIL" to get 10% off your order at Tiny Prints, plus free shipping on orders of $75 or more. Valid now through 8/31/09.

Shutterfly Rosh Hashanah Cards

I just ordered Jewish New Year's cards from our affiliate Shutterfly. I was pleased to see that they had several Rosh Hashanah designs (in past years, you just had to adapt one of their existing templates). I chose Abundant Joy , a cheery pink and blue design that worked well with a photo of R&S that I took on our summer vacation. Bonus: the 5 x 7 flat cards are 20% off right now, so if you order, say, 21-45 cards, you'll pay just $1.67 each. Also, make sure to use coupon code "SHIP50" for free shipping if your order totals $50 or more. Happy New Year!

Bargain Alert: 50% Off Everything at Hatley.com Today Only

There's a fantastic offer at our affiliate Hatley.com today--50% off absolutely everything, no coupon code needed (prices already marked down). As I've mentioned here before, I buy my kids' PVC-free rainwear here, and also comfy, snug-fitting pajamas. So these are the kinds of deals you can score today (note that each pattern is often available in other styes--for example, there are also Elmo raincoats and rainboots, and Farmer Jack PJs):



Farmer Jack Boys' Raincoat (now $24.19)





Red Elmo Loves You Infant Coverall and Knot Cap (now $14.99)





Visit Hatley.com today while the deals last.

Free Shipping at Tea Collection

I know that many of you are fans of Tea Collection, so I wanted to make sure you knew that this weekend you can get free U.S. shipping on any order (see end of post for coupon code). There's no minimum. I'm buying these French Terry Cargo Pants for S.; it can be hard to find comfortable but durable elastic-waist pull-on pants for boys in sizes 4-7 and I've found that Tea Collection's always do the trick. You might also want to check out popular items like Tea's classic hoodies which tend to sell out early.



Enjoy free shipping on all Tea Collection orders through midnight August 14th, with code GOTHERE. Also, if you haven't tried Tea before, click through this link and you will get $25 off your first order of $50 or more.

Summer Reading

Like most moms, I never have enough time to read for pleasure. But this summer I have squeezed in two books: Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back and Room: A Novel. Have you read either of these? I plucked them off the NY Times Bestseller list and they both great reads. Heaven is For Real Heaven is a father's true story of his four year old son who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and (supposedly) enters heaven. The child survives the surgery and after recovering starts to tell his mother and father (who is a pastor) about meeting Jesus and seeing the family's departed relatives--including uncanny details that the child would have no other way of knowing. If it sounds very John Edwards-esque to you, well, it is. But it is also convincing in many ways.



I would especially love to hear from any of you who also read The Room. I read this book in 2 sittings--something which I rarely do. I was hooked from the first scene because the narrator (a boy named Jack) was celebrating his 5th birthday--just like my son did last week. Jack is a typical kid but he has lived his whole life in a tiny single room. And as you read how he and his devoted mother spend every day, every week, every month, and every year, you will slowly learn why and will be riveted as you see how the mother tries to open up Jack's world. It is a story that is at once disturbing and tragic, yet ultimately hopeful. And if you are the mother of a young child I guarantee it will give you lots of food for thought (and reasons to be very grateful for your own life).



Both Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back and Room: A Novel are on sale at Amazon for about $9.

Newly Minted

There are lots of photo stationery sites out there, but Minted is unique in that it offers many exclusive designs by top independent designers like Egg Press, Elum, Dauphine, and Wiley Valentine (don't worry, I'd never heard of any of these either until I went to my 1st National Stationery Show, but now- as an experienced paper-phile- they are household names to me). These designers compete to have their top products offered at Minted. The cards, including birth announcements, birthday invitations, and personal stationery, are fresh and fun.

I am very impressed with Minted's photo birth announcements- again, this is a glutted market but Minted's announcements stand out for particularly eye-catching cropping (or bleeding) of the photo images. The prices are competitive for cards of this caliber- about $119 for 50 cards. Take a look:

Garden Feast Announcements by Helena Seo Deo Designs


Belle Memoire Announcements by Helena Seo Deo Designs


Scrolls Announcements by Duval Invites

Check out announcements, invitations, notecards and more at Minted.


Note: You can order a sample of any card at Minted for $7 and it will be credited towards a future purchase. Also, if you take a short customer survey you will receive a 10% discount! Definitely worth a few minutes! Visit Minted.

Back to School at Mighty Nest

If you're interested in healthy, non-toxic products for your family, you should check out our newest affiliate MightyNest.com. This site offers safe, non-toxic products for the entire family, from newborns to Mom & Dad. And as you're starting to think about packing all those lunches again in September, Mighty Nest is a great site to scoop up safer lunchboxes, thermoses, and more. Take a look at my favorite picks:

"Dieter the Monkey" Insulated Lunchbox ($34) by Beatrix. These insulated nylon lunch boxes by Beatrix (a popular brand with celebs) are an adorable option for toting lunches and snacks to school. They're machine washable and PVC/phthalate/lead-free. Plus there's a name tag and handy back zipped pocket for additional storage.


Lunchbot Duo Stainless Steel Food Containers ($17.95). I actually love the look of these Lunchbots just as much for grown-ups. It's much healthier to store your food in stainless steel than in plastic, and both the lid and divided container are made of the highest quality stainless steel. It's also dishwasher safe and BPA, PVC and Phthalate Free.



Butterfly Waste-Free Lunch Set ($44.95). This is not your old tin lunchbox set. All of the components are (recycled cotton sack, napkin, stainless steel beverage bottle, food kozy, and stainless steel food containers) are reusable and waste-free. The pretty fabric comes from India, and other patterns are available too.




Kids Konserve Thermos ($19.95). If your kids prefer warm lunches (mine brought lukewarm hot dog pieces to camp this summer!), this leakproof 12oz stainless steel thermos is your answer. Food will stay warmed for hours, so you can pack that leftover mac 'n cheese, soup, or hot cocoa without worry. Three colors are available.



Take a look around MightyNest.com for other healthy products for the whole family. The site offers automatic free shipping on all orders over $50, and flat-rate shipping of just $5.95 on all other orders.

Moving Announcements for the 'Burbs

Remember I posted some city-themed moving announcements recently for one of my local pals? This time I'm offering some picks for another friend who recently left for the suburbs of NYC (sniff, sniff). Here were my suggestions:

"Hello New Home" Announcements by Minted


The Grass Is Greener Moving Announcements by Minted


Rosettes Personalized Modern Moving Announcements by Red Stamp


Long Island Moving Announcement by Robyn Miller Design


Family Bikes Moving Annoucement by Tiny Prints


And here is what my friend eventually chose. Love these, too!

Boatman Geller Traditional House at More Than Paper

Congrats to A. and her family on their move! We miss you.

Free Shipping at Hanna Andersson

Hanna Andersson doesn't offer free shipping very often, and I know lots of you are looking for a coupon code (Google Analytics tells me so...). So make sure you take advantage of the free shipping that HA is currently offering, now through August 14th, along with a slew of discounts on back-to-school items ranging from dresses to tees to backpacks. You don't need any coupon code; just click through this link to shop, and free shipping will automatically be applied on all orders over $100. Enjoy!

Shown at left: Hanna's famous Organic PJs ($42). I swear by these for my kids. Pricey, but they last years and years and are soooo soft.

Bargain Alert: 50% off Frecklebox Notebooks

You know those cool personalized notebooks that I've used as kids' stickerbooks? They're on sale for 50% off at our affiliate Frecklebox.com (assorted designs, on sale for $4.97; originally $9.95 each). Of course, these are also ideal for back-to-school (even the most reluctant students can't resist a notebook with their own name). Check out all of the new designs for boys and girls at Frecklebox.com.

Enjoy 50% off any and all notebooks at Frecklebox.com now through Wednesday, July 27th at 1pm EST with code NOTEBOOK.

Lunchtime, Gen X Style

With the upcoming Smurfs movie, there seems to be nostalgia for our Gen X roots--you know, the pop culture we enjoyed as kids in the late 1970s/early 1980s (if you are not yet 30 years old, please disregard this post!). I was happy to spot a I Love Kermit lunchbox in my recent issue of Earnshaws's magazine. Perfect timing, too, because my own daughter is about to turn 8, and I'm remembering my own 8th birthday party and how my "theme" was. . . Kermit the Frog. I was all about the Muppets (yes I was a nerd even back then). Anyway, I tracked down the Kermit lunchbox, and some other Gen X lunchboxes (including Smurfette and The Muppet Show) at our affiliate Perpetual Kid. Boy, do these take me back. Remember our loud clanging tin lunchboxes? This was way before the days of BPA-free products. There is something so sweet and charming about these; and at just $12 each, even if you don't buy one for your child, it might be a fun tchotcke for yourself. Check them out at Perpetual Kid.

Bargain Alert: Bargain Children's Clothing

Do you know about our affiliate Bargain Children's Clothing? I mention it from time to time here because, like most of you, I love to buy designer clothing for my children but can only do so when it's marked down. Bargain Children's Clothing is a treasure trove of deals on top kids' designers like Anita G., Mish Mish, and Wes & Willy. I also like that they carry both Spring/Summer and Winter/Fall inventory year-round (in fact, I've bought my kids' snowpants here in June). One last bonus: my orders always arrive super fast (like within 3 days), even with regular shipping. Here are some of my top picks right now at Bargain Children's Clothing:

Planet Color by Todd Parr Girls' PJs (on sale for $21.90; originally $32)



Mish Mish Toddler Girls' Long Sleeve Knit Dress (on sale for $22.90; originally $48)


Mis Tee V-Us - Toddler Boys 2 Piece Long Sleeve Fireman Pant Set, Navy, Red (on sale for $31; originally $56)

Gold Rush Outfitters Infant Boys Jeans (on sale for $12.90; originally $48)



Through August 11th, get $10 off any order of $100 ore more at Bargain Children's Clothing with code SAVE10. Tip: Ordering after August 11th? Check the site's homepage every few days because they usually offer some kind of coupon.

Tiny Prints Lowers Its Prices

I know that many of you love to order personalized kids' stationery, party invitations, birth announcements, and holiday cards from Tiny Prints. So do I. The designs are fresh and modern and the prices are reasonable. And now I'm guessing Tiny Prints will have even more happy customers with the introduction of its new "Studio Basics" collection, featuring cards and invitations by the same talented Tiny Prints designers but at lower costs passed on to you. These cards start at 59 cents each, compared to about $1.19 for the original Tiny Prints designs. If you're inviting a classful of kids to a birthday party, this will save you more than a few bucks.

I have two Tiny Prints coupon codes to pass along to you (I'm not sure if you can use both, but you can choose whichever one saves you more money):

Enjoy $10 off orders of $49 or more, or $20 off orders of $99 or more (applies sitewide) with code JULYEMAIL now through 11:59 pm (PT) on 7/27/2009.

Enjoy flat rate $3 shipping on all Studio Basics orders with code SBSHIPSALE now through 11:59 pm (PT) on 8/3/2009.

40% off Sesame Street Clothing at Hatley

Today only (Wednesday, July 20th) you can take 40% off of ALL Sesame Street items at Hatley. I've written before about this collection; the sleepwear and rainwear (including coats, boots & umbrellas) are excellent products if your kids are begging for Elmo or Cookie Monster threads, but you don't want to sacrifice on the quality of the clothing. I wish this line came in bigger sizes--I would snatch these up for S.! Shop today at our affiliate Hatley.

Take 40% of all Sesame Street items at Hatley today only with code "SESAME".

Tea Collection Double Secret $10 Shopping Event

Pssst! Tea Collection fans, you must go check out the brand's Double Secret $10 Shopping Event where some best-selling spring/summer favorites (tees, shorts, skirts, and dresses) are up for grabs at $10 each--savings of up to 70%. It's selling fast, so take a look today for the best selection; the sale ends this Sunday.

Moving Sale at Craftsbury Kids

Craftsbury Kids, a charming shop featuring (you guessed it) hand-crafted toys, accessories, and decor for little ones, is having a moving sale and you can save big-time (up to 70%) on beautifully designed products like these:

Zid Zid Kids Lion Table Set (reduced to $227.50 from $325). I've seen this set in person and it is gorgeous (p.s. there is one set left in stock that has a slight imperfection, which accounts for the discount).


Classic Work Bench (reduced to $18.20 from $26). You can never go wrong with this toddler toy as a birthday or big sibling gift.


Sock Monkeys Birthday Skirt Outfit (reduced to $85 from $100). This outfit is by Liliputians, whose birthday outfits I have bought for my own kids each year!


Sweetbeets Four Dominoes Card (reduced to $2.75 from $5.50). I've long admired Sweetbeets' kid-themed letterpress cards; the number series works individually as birthday cards or together as framed nursery art.

Check out more goods on sale at Craftsbury Kids.