Because trouble comes in all sizes.
Vincent Daly 
Without question, Valentine’s Day translates into a commercial bonanza for retailers. Yet if one can filter out the unsavory profit driven nature of the celebration, the people that matter to us most, our loved ones, move to center stage. For families, Valentine’s day embraces unconditional love. No matter how challenging our daily lives become, unconditional love empowers us to endure. Love conquers all.
The above illustration was inspired by the time I took my son, then 3, to his first live theater performance. We had both anticipated a thrilling afternoon filled with tales about animals along with spirited musical performances. What we experienced turned out to be an anthropological case study.
I discovered Monster Factory based on recommendations from colleagues involved with Toy design and puppetry. I’m glad I took their advice. With a roster of uniquely designed plush monster character toys as well as a line of monster themed kids clothing, Monster Factory offers a variety of choices. They’ve also produced original comedy video shorts which follow the antics of Monster Factory characters as high school students. Monster Factory provided me with one of their monster character plush dolls, Andy, to review. In addition, one lucky reader will get the chance to win an Andy plush doll to call their very own.
The illustration above was inspired by the need to introduce time management to my toddler. The school day rush hour became quite the maelstrom in our home. Frustrations became exacerbated, tempers flared, and everyone ended up late and cranky. We were ready for a change.
Keeping things clean and organized in a home inhabited by young children is certainly one of the banes of a parent’s existence at times. In our humble abode, the plastic wars continue. For us the onslaught began during my son’s baby shower. The sheer tonnage of toys and assorted baby products could have fit into a modest sized aircraft carrier. I truly believe we received the bulk of China’s factory output that day. And with this plentiful yield came an unforeseen sizable price to be paid.
Kidorable, a unique kids clothing company best known for its wonderfully creative rain coats and rain boots, has recently released two whimsical new styles, Space Hero and Ballerina. I was sent a couple of samples, a Space Hero raincoat and Ballerina rain boots, to review. In addition, Kidorable has provided me the opportunity to offer you a chance to win your choice of one of their fun and imaginative umbrellas. Read on for the review and giveaway details.
The above illustration was inspired by a day at the ice rink with my then 3 year old son. We had reached an impasse which required some unique actions on my part, some of which were quite comical.
For many parents, education planning for one’s children can be a maddening endeavor. Especially if lack of financial resources factor into the consideration. Hard decisions need to be made. Dependence on the public school system often becomes a necessity not a choice. As such parents shop around for the most advantageous environment for kids including small class sizes, modern facilities, and of course, top notch teachers. A recent NY Times article by Laura Herrera writes about how school systems in Florida and other states have begun to experiment with virtual classrooms also known as e-learning labs.
The illustration above was inspired by a memorable day at the playground with my son. At the time I was irritable due to a bout with allergies and not particularly in the mood to engage in play time with my boy. After witnessing another Dad having a boisterously good time pretending with his son, I was inspired to partake in the fun as well. It was a reminder to me of the importance of play for both parents and children.