ZRecommends

I think this kid is braver than I am

2011-12-21T16:32:19-06:00

Actually, I'm sure of it.

Nerf's Big Bad Bow is around $42 on Amazon.com.

Puppies, puppies everywhere: Peaceable Kingdom’s Lost Puppies game

2011-12-09T17:05:59-06:00

In Lost Puppies, Peaceable Kingdom has delivered a move-pieces-around-the-paths game that will charm even the most jaded Candyland survivor, in part because there's a lot of complexity to when and how pieces are moved. This game was a massive hit with our daughter Zella, a wise old seven-year-old whose critical faculties melt to jelly at the mention of puppies, kittens, or anything else small and fuzzy and in need of hugs.

The goal of the game is to get a bunch of puppies home (they share the homes communally, and can travel to whichever one is convenient, as long as the one-puppy-per-household rule is respected). Puppies, as well as items to assist them (flashlights) and obstacles, numbered cards that must then be placed as barriers at set positions along the hub-and-spoke network of paths. Players take turns by turning over a card to discover whether it is a puppy, a mulligan, or a blockade, or moving a puppy along a path. Play is cooperative and it is quite possible to lose, although there are many ways to explain otherwise when your child is crying because you failed to get the puppies home and now they are wandering around lost in the park instead of in their nice warm beds.

You can pick up Lost Puppies on Amazon.com for about $13.

Win It! We're giving away a copy of Lost Puppies to one ZRecs reader. To enter to win, comment on this post and tell us about your favorite pet. This giveaway will end at 11:59 CT on Tuesday, December 13, we'll select a winner at random from eligible entries on December 14, and try to get the game to you by the holidays, although that's pushing it, isn't it?

The fine print: Giveaway open to U.S. residents 18 or older. One entry per person.

Disclosure: Peaceable Kingdom sent us this game to review. We will pass it on to someone else who can use it, or Z will pay us $13, which we will donate to charity. She doesn't choose to keep many review items, but this one could go either way. WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE PUPPIES?!

HABA picks a winner with Hit the Throttle

2011-12-09T04:32:02-06:00

HABA's Hit the Throttle is among our favorite new games of the season. It's the first "head game" we've seen that is comprehensible to kids as young as four and delicious fun for them as they work on their "poker faces" and attempt to strategize their way to the finish line. As with all kids' games that are fun for adults, there's a wide range of strategies older kids and adults can employ, and best of all, our most complex machinations still can't guarantee victory. The balance of luck and skill here is pitch-perfect for a family game.

The concept is, well, not so simple: A series of cards form a track and colored wooden cars (heirloom quality as always with HABA) move along the track based on die rolls. But things get interesting in a few ways.

First, no player represents a single car. Every player draws a heavy stock card at the beginning of the game, on which are featured two cars of different colors. The player wins if their two cars reach the finish line before the two cars on any other players' cards do. In other words, if I hold a card with a blue and red car, I don't win if blue gets to the finish line first, and if purple comes in second, it only matters if someone else had a card with the blue-purple combo.

Second, players do not reveal the cars on their card. The winning combination for each player is their little secret.

Third, cars are moved through a series of die rolls strategically played each turn. The player begins by rolling three dice, each of which has the same six colored faces representing the cars' six different colors. The player chooses one of these colors and moves that colored car forward one space on the track. He or she then rolls the remaining two dice, picks a color and moves that car, and then rolls the last die and moves that colored car a space.

A few points of strategy make this game pretty interesting for kids learning to be sneaky:

A car that has reached the finish line can still be selected as the color of choice on a die roll. That means if none of the cars are your two colors, you can "skip" a move by selecting the color of a car that has already finished the race.

It is very valuable for other players to not know which cars you're rooting for, and if they do know, they are likely to brag about it. Selecting another colored car to move instead of one of your own can throw them off for a good portion of the game.

Meanwhile, players carefully watch each others' moves and try to figure out what colors others need to win. It's always a bit tricky because you have to move a car on almost every roll, which means you are often moving cars that aren't on your card.

Long story short, we love this game! You can pick it up on maukilo.com or at Amazon.com for about $11. A great stocking stuffer or gift in its own right!

Win it! We're giving away a copy of Hit the Throttle to one ZRecs reader. Email us at zrecsmedia@gmail.com with your favorite holiday game to play with the kids and you'll be entered to win! You have until 11:59 CT on Monday, December 12 to enter. We'll contact a winner in Dec. 13 and get you the game in time for the holidays!

The fine print: Must be 18 or older to win and a resident of the U.S. One entry per person. Must tell us about a real game that you actually like, because we might play it, and if it is terrible we will be sad.

Disclosure: HABA is participating in an event for which ZRecs will receive compensation. We'll be talking about this event on ZRecs soon, but be aware that as always, our views here are our own and are independent of any relationship we may have with the company.

Sesame Street and the Case of the Missing Gordon

2011-11-10T16:20:43-06:00

The Children's Television Workshop has a bona fide mystery on their hands, and they've reached out to the hivemind at reddit for help.

Sesame Street's debuted 42 years ago today. But like most other TV shows, we had a test pilot. We created it in the summer of 1969, just a few months before the first episode aired. The actor who played Gordon on the show... was replaced by an actor named Matt Robinson (who, by the way, is Holly Robinson Peete's father).

Two years ago, we put together a huge anthology of our then-40 year history... and realized that we do not know who played Gordon in the test pilot. We've asked everyone we could think of -- actors, actresses, and puppeteers who have been on the show since its inception; Sesame Workshop's founder, Joan Ganz Cooney; and of course, dug through seemingly endless boxes of documents and photos.

Any clue would be great, even if it's seemingly esoteric or mundane. You can email it to us at wheresgordon@ sesameworkshop.org, drop me a message here, or if it doesn't involve someone's personal info, leave it in a comment.
Oh, and one other thing: Here's a clip of our mystery Gordon from that test pilot. And yes, Bert and Ernie look a little different than they do nowadays, but then again, Oscar used to be orange.

The clip:

Sorry, "Time Traveling Tracey Jordan" has already been suggested.

A daily calendar for kids

2011-10-20T14:39:41-06:00

As freeform homeschoolers, we are always walking the line between freedom and structure. We believe that all children benefit from freedom in their education, but that some structure can help guide a child and keep them centered. Since Z is 7, we've also been working a lot with calendars, clocks, and the idea of routines.

After some ups and downs struggling with getting Z to engage in "activities" (our code word for schooling), I happened on a solution that has worked better than I could ever have imagined: A daily calendar describing events of the day, including appointments that are outside of Z's control (my own appointments or commitments as well as her routine commitments to classes she has chosen, like ballet and gymnastics) and some portion of learning activities that she has pre-chosen in a weekly meeting as her goals and intentions for the week. I set up the schedule in the evening, filling in clock faces to show her what times events are scheduled to begin and end (she's learning to tell time) and writing descriptions of what we'll do, including morning routine reminders that help me get her ready to start the day by a set time, and take care of things we need to do around the house (pick up, feed the chickens, put away the dishes) and all the fun stuff we plan to do throughout the day. The schedule almost always includes free play periods where nothing is scheduled at all -- often an hour or two in the afternoons, as we do our best schooling in the morning.

The thing about the schedule is, while I write up this daily schedule (using activities she has outlined for the week), she is the one who holds me to it. It's only now that we have a schedule that I realize just how often, and how persistently, she was asking what was coming next, trying to fix the order of a day's errands or appointments her mind, and when she would get to do X, on an almost-daily basis -- and how frustrated she would get when an activity was interrupted by something else I had in mind for us to get on to. The schedule has given us both the structure we need, while remaining highly flexible, since its contents are negotiated in advance. Z is now eager to move through the events of each day, and the first thing she does every morning, without fail, is look over the schedule to see what's happening. (The "weather" and "moon phase" blanks at the top of the page are for her to fill in.)

If you'd like a copy of this schedule to use yourself, you can grab a PDF of our Daily Kids' Calendar here.

Missing a friend today

2011-10-01T05:59:24-06:00

It's been a rough year around ZRecs HQ. If you follow me on Twitter or have "liked" us on Facebook you already know the whys, but I'm finally ready to go into a little more detail here on our blog.

One year ago today, I lost one of my best friends to postpartum depression. A sweet baby girl lost her mama, a husband lost his wife, parents lost their daughter, and the world lost a compassionate, generous activist.

I met Kristi Marie Couvillon Wise during college sometime in the mid-nineties. I don't remember where or the exact date, and when I look back on it, it seems like I'd just known her forever. There are few people with whom I've had that instant connection -- that moment that changes so quickly and seamlessly from the just-getting-to-know-you phase to knowing that you will grow old and still be laughing and sharing with this person.

The thing I hadn't yet put my finger on in those early days - I suspect that I recognized it but couldn't name it -- was that beyond all of the music and philosophies and books and other random interests that we shared, we also shared a struggle with chronic depression.

I don't remember how or why we first spoke of it. Did she mention it or did I bring it up? Was it in the context of a current episode, or were we sharing our pasts? But I saw that for the first time, there was a person who didn't judge, didn't scorn, wasn't shocked when I described what it felt like to be sinking into that black abyss of depression. She didn't tell me to keep a stiff upper lip or to think of other things; she acknowledged and she shared her own struggles and experiences with me. Our battle with depression was only part of our relationship, although it was an important part. But I also loved Kristi for her boundless spontaneity, her free spirit, her compassion, sincerity, and intelligence. Kristi was one of the most giving people that I've ever met.

As we grew to adulthood, we continued to share our struggles. She helped me through a battle against PTSD and postpartum depression after the birth of my daughter Z. I consoled her when she had a miscarriage and through years of infertility. We celebrated together at weddings, she came to my daughter's birthday parties, we each moved across the country and back at different times, we started and sometimes changed careers. There were times, of course, when our contact would slow (can you remember a time when texting didn't exist and when internet access was not available everywhere you went?) but for the big things -- the sorrows, the losses, the wins -- we made sure to talk or visit.

Kristi blossomed in her adulthood, first as a social worker, then as a defense attorney, and then as a working mother. The passion and love she shared with her friends and family came through in her law career and work with the Texas Civil Rights Project, where she labored tirelessly for inmates on Texas' death row.

A year ago today, Kristi died after nearly five months of torturous depression. She was seeking treatment and had a strong support system, but depression is not always cured by popping a Prozac. It's often a long experiment to see which drugs have an effect on your body while trying to be convinced that the thoughts coming from your mind are not your own. She left a six-month-old daughter, a loving husband, and countless others to mourn her.

I cannot imagine the rest of my life without Kristi. My heart breaks for her daughter who will never know the light that shone so bright from her mother, but also to think of the sadness and pain from which she so desperately needed relief. I still mourn her every day. I wonder what I could have done, what any of us could have done to help her. I think about all of the other people in the world who have lost loved ones to suicide -- all of the other children who must grow up without a mother or a father, all of the parents who lost their children too early.

I think of my own struggles with depression, my own spirals into the abyss. I think of how we toss around the words "depression" or "depressed" like a baseball. "I'm so depressed that it's raining today" or "That movie was really depressing." Do we cheapen the meaning of the word and lighten our impressions of true depression? Does using the word depression in those ways make us underestimate its deadly power? Certainly it makes it easier to brush off when someone says tells you they are depressed -- do you have to take it seriously like when someone says they have cancer? Or have we so watered down the word that it's more like telling someone you stubbed your toe? ("Oh, I'm sorry, that must hurt. Just keep on truckin' and you'll feel better in no time.")

A year has passed. In some ways, it feels like Kristi died only yesterday, but in others, I have moved forward. And so I find myself beginning to do again what we at ZRecs have prided ourselves on doing for years: advocating, raising awareness, and contributing my voice to the many that are trying to make things different somehow. I can't change what happened to Kristi (oh how I desperately wish I could) but maybe if we all work together we can change the next person. Maybe we can make postpartum depression be treated as a serious issue by our society and our media. Maybe we can help support new moms better and make sure that they are getting the help and the relief that they need while they are adjusting to becoming mothers. Maybe together we can ask all of our new mom friends, not just "How is the baby?but "How are you?" "Are you feeling sad?" "Do you know the signs of postpartum depression?" "What can I do to help you?"

When we see a loved one who seems to be struggling, we can reach out to them -- offer help, help them find help, tell them that depression is not a way of life -- is not something to brush off. We can make our children aware of the signs of depression and suicide -- help them become fluent in identifying those signs -- maybe help them save a friend. We can work together to stop the damned bullying already.

I've found somewhere to start that works for me: Raising money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I'm going to walk one of their Out of the Darkness walks, because I'm committed to making suicide an acceptable topic of conversation. I'm going to help them raise money for education and awareness. And slowly, as I put the pieces back together, I'll see what I can do to raise awareness for postpartum depression. Because no one should feel that desperate. No one should see suicide as their only way out. And because babies deserve mothers and mothers deserve help.

The Reverend David Hoster wrote a beautiful eulogy for Kristi's service and I'll leave you with his last words:

"Then our new responsibility will begin. The Kristi that we cherish is all about life, and it is the responsibility of those who know and cherish her to meet her death with life. Whatever she brought to life in each of us must be the living, triumphant answer to the question that is no longer a question, but a straightforward declaration of fact: how could she not be among us!"

If you'd like to donate to my Out of the Darkness walking team (all funds are donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention), you can do so on my participant page. I'd be so thankful if you did.

If you or someone you know is in emotional crisis or is showing the warning signs for suicide, please seek help immediately or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Crochet your own Space Shuttle

2011-07-12T20:59:48-06:00

With detachable sections ready for launch, this, I believe, is the craft of the hour.

The pattern is priced at a well-deserved $5.

Pampers to settle Dry Max class-action lawsuit

2011-06-24T14:58:31-06:00

And it looks like the lawyers won.

The class-action lawsuit by 59 plaintiffs was launched to confront Procter & Gamble with evidence that the company's Dry Max diapers were causing unusually severe rashes. The new formulation, which reduced absorbent paper and redistributed the liquid-absorbing plastic in a design the company touted as better for the environment and less bulky, led to a Facebook group with thousands of members sharing photographs of severe rashes and blistering and led to an extensive ZRecs investigation, wall-to-wall mainstream media coverage, an inquiry by the Consumer Products Safety Commission, and a major change of course in marketing by Procter & Gamble.

Pampers will pay $2.7 million in lawyers' fees, and has committed to spending $400,000 on "training programs in pediatric skin health" while admitting no wrongdoing. They are also paying plaintiffs $1,000 each to cover their expenses.

Marketing under the cover of science is nothing new in the baby products industry. It's how Nestle and other infant formula companies market formula under questionable claims around the world, and it's how P&G is frightening parents in China to begin favoring diapers over their cultures' time-tested methods of potty training, and encouraging parents in India to switch from cloth to disposables:

There’s even bigger potential in India, where the birth rate is almost double that of China but the diaper market remains tiny at about $43.4 million. (Pampers is the top-selling brand there, too.) So now, P&G plans to take the sleep argument throughout rural and poor areas in India and elsewhere. The company also makes its case by positioning itself as a baby-care educator. Pampers sponsors healthcare-outreach programs such as a rural immunization program in China and mobile medical-care vans in Pakistan and Morocco. In India, there’s a door-to-door program that offers baby-care tips and diaper samples for moms. [Source]

This is an unfortunate outcome. P&G's educational programs have been and will remain committed to the idea that diaper rash is naturally occurring and has no relationship to the practices or materials used in modern diapering. In other words, they've committed to earmarking $400,000 of their marketing budget to sponsored programs that promote their financial interests under the cover of scientific objectivity.

If you declared yourself as a class member in this lawsuit, you actually have two options if you do not like this arrangement. You can object to the settlement in writing, and have the court "consider your views." If you live in the Cincinnati area, or are willing to travel to make your voice heard, you can ask the Court to let you speak at the approval hearing. Here are the details from the settlement notice [PDF], including deadlines for each option.

If you are a Class Member, you can object to the settlement and give reasons why you think the Court should not approve it. The Court will consider your views. To object, you must send a letter saying that you object to the settlement in In Re Dry Max Pampers Litigation, Case No. 1:10-cv-00301. Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, signature and the reasons why you object to the settlement. You must send your objection by first class mail to the Dry Max Pampers Notice Administrator, the Court, and to one of the attorneys for the Settlement Class ("Class Counsel") and one of the attorneys for Procter & Gamble. A list of the attorneys is provided on the Full Notice, available at www.diaperclassactionsettlement.com. Your objection must be postmarked no later than August 29, 2011, or your objection will not be valid and will not be considered by the Court.

You may ask the Court to speak at the hearing on the approval of the settlement. To do so, you must send a letter saying that it is your "Notice of Intention to Appear" in In Re Dry Max Pampers Litigation, Case No. 1:10-cv-00301. Include your name, address, telephone number and signature. Your Notice of Intention to Appear must be postmarked no later than September 21, 2011, and also must be sent to the Clerk of Court, Class Counsel and Procter & Gamble's Counsel at their addresses in the Full Notice. You cannot speak at the hearing if your Notice of Intention to Appear is late.

Superbaby

2011-06-23T17:28:24-06:00

Now nearly seven, we've been allowing Z to stay up and play quietly in her room after her bedtime routine. To our surprise, after some typical toy play sessions she has turned this evening hour or so (she typically declares herself tired enough to go to sleep by around 9:30) into one of the most productive periods of her day. Some evenings she rounds up scissors and tape, paper and string, raids our recycling bins, and emerges with an invention or doll outfit. Other nights she develops songs to sing to us or dance routines.

"Superbaby" (our name, not hers) is what she made a few nights ago, out of some deflated balloons.

We'll write something up about Z's "free-range" bedtime for anyone who's interested!

Ken dumps Barbie over Mattel’s contribution to rainforest destruction

2011-06-16T21:24:24-06:00

Well-played, Greenpeace. Well-played.

(Seriously. Everybody should be taking notes on this.)

How far have we come in eliminating exposure to BPA?

2011-05-16T17:15:49-06:00

I was interviewed by the fine gentlemen at DadLabs a few weeks ago on the current state of regulation and ongoing exposure to BPA. (Don't follow these guys yet? Follow them.) They posted the interview segment last week, and did a great job of trimming my thirty minutes of commentary into a succinct web interview. I wanted to share the interview, and then offer you notes I used to prepare for it, which has quite a bit more detail.

I'm going to post a couple of tip lists as separate posts, because they're pretty utilitarian and I want them to be easily referenced and shared. But here's the meat of our understanding of the issue of BPA regulation as it currently stands. These are raw notes, as I prepared them to consult during the interview.

The state of BPA regulation and prospects for chemical reform

The risk
Endocrine disruptor, mimics body’s own hormones. Greatest effects in early childhood development and in utero. NIH, FDA, and many many studies have all expressed concern over risks. Longitudinal studies of behavior are needed (and under way). Replicability of results is key. Known hazards add up.

BPA reform: There are reasons for optimism.
Eight states now have BPA bans (mostly on bottles and sippy cups): Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. Additionally, 17 states are considering new bans this year on a variety of items.

These bans have nationwide impact because distribution channels are national, not state-based.

One common argument against banning BPA in the U.S. used to be that BPA was OK with the European Union, which typically has stricter chemical regulations. As of this month, BPA is now banned in baby bottles in the EU -- the ban just went into effect (manufacturing ban).

At the societal level, most companies have switched to polypropylene or a new material, Tritan copolyester, for bottles. There never were many polycarbonate sippy cups. But manufacturers have made changes only in those product areas that have become regulated -- there is no generalized movement occuring in bath toys, pacifiers, or teething toys. Which brings us to...

Broader chemical reform: It's hard to be optimistic.
The Toxic Substances Control Act dates to 1976. Mindset was that chemicals should be treated as "innocent until proven guilty." It needs reform. Reform means meeting a standard of safety prior to use. Under the TSCA, the EPA’s hands are tied. The 62,000 chemicals on the market when it was signed into law were more or less grandfathered in, and only 2,000 have undergone any required testing. EPA must prove that chemical poses "unreasonable risk" to require testing at all.

There is a reform bill now in the Senate, the Safe Chemicals Act, but the chemical lobby is very, very strong. The same basic bill failed to pass in 2010, 2009, and 2008, the year the chances probably seemed strongest. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey has been behind every one of the bills.

Coke shareholders just [April] rejected a shareholder proposal asking the company to disclose its plans for removing BPA from its cans. It was defeated roughly 3:1, just as a similar proposal was a year ago. Since their own totally non-commital commitment to thinking about looking at alternatives to BPA-lined cans is getting pretty long in the tooth, the secrecy looks worse with each passing year.

One bright spot is that the American Academy of Pediatrics is now calling for reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act.

-----

Stay tuned for two lists of tips (titles will get better):

What you should do, beyond buying "BPA-free" labeled products, to limit your family's BPA consumption

Seven things you should care about avoiding if you care about avoiding BPA

Doodle Roll: Short takes on a long idea

2011-05-04T14:48:02-06:00

The Doodle Roll is a simple concept: A "self-serve" roll of paper in a case, with a place to store crayons, for drawing on the go. It's a significant improvement on a core idea we've seen before -- Klutz's Doodle Dogs/Cats/etc. from several years ago, still on the market -- because it takes advantage of the two big benefits of roll paper drawing: long-form drawing (murals or narratives) and collaboration (providing a strip long enough for multiple artists to draw together). Z has enjoyed drawing tiny murals on adding machine paper before, so this sounded like a good idea to us. As it turns out, Doodle Roll offers a welcome twist on the hurry-up-and-wait activity in any setting where parents (a) pull out scraps of paper and a crayon or pen, (b) carry around a full drawing kit with paper and a pencil pouch, or (c) curse themselves for forgetting the drawing stuff again.

Our six-year-old had no trouble unrolling more paper from the roll, which is pretty much the most important criteria this device needs to meet. She couldn't get the crayon compartment open, but if you're carrying a Doodle Roll around in your purse or car, you'll be glad for the tight fit.

There are no snaps or clasps to impede even younger users from similar success -- it's a simple molded plastic inset lip made of forgiving PET plastic. But even if you're the official assistant to the artist, it's easy to unspool enough paper to keep them going for a while.

The plastic used sort of screams "disposable," but we're glad they chose it. PET is as pervasive and as easily recyclable as a soft drink bottle, whereas a firmer plastic like polypropylene, although it might get a bit more use, would use up significantly more resources to manufacture and recycle.

Z's one note of dissatisfaction was with crayon quality. She is a connoisseur of crayons and found the set provided by Doodle Roll to be too soft and easily broken. Personally, I was pleased that they weren't waxy, poor colorers like the kind you get at restaurants. They actually color well. That said, it's four crayons. They're easy to replace with your own if and when they get broken.

The cheapskates in us saw this product and said, "Hey, maybe I should bring a roll of adding machine tape to our next meal out instead of pieces of paper." That plus Z's ever-ready pouch full of crayons would do the trick. But there are two advantages -- okay, three if you count the sheer convenience -- to the Doodle Roll. One is that the plastic case grips the roll end of the paper and holds it flat, so the paper doesn't further unspool while your child is drawing. (I know, cheapskates -- a pencil pouch on one side of the roll and a set of keys on the other would do the same.) The other is that this paper is wider than adding machine tape, and gives kids a lot more room to work with vertically. The Doodle Roll comes in 4" and 6" wide strips, which, incidentally, we cannot find anywhere on the Internet for purchase on their own. (It figures: Doodle Roll maker Imagination Brands' founder, Marc Cooper, works in the paper industry.) If you could track these things down, and stashed a rubber-banded one in a drawing kit with a set of four or more crayons, and planned to improvise a method for holding the roll in place everywhere you went, you would essentially be duplicating the features of the Doodle Roll. But you would be doing so in order to save $4 minus whatever the paper cost you. Even cheapskates have a breaking point, right?

The Doodle Roll is sold in 4" and 6" widths (with 15' and 30' lengths of paper, respectively) for $3.99 and $4.99 at children's stores nationwide, thanks to a distribution deal with Schylling. The 4"x15' roll is suitable for a large purse, if you don't mind the weight, but either size travels well as standalone items or in your child's own bag, as everything is self-contained in the plastic carrier.

Side note: Z's drawing, shown above, is a scene from Jasper Tompkins' exceptional, out-of-print children's book The Catalog.

This item, received from the company for review, is a consumable and is not affected by our Keep No Stuff policy.

Crayola Colored Bubbles Wand Set eager to paint shoes, driveway, house

2011-04-29T13:04:15-06:00

"Washable" doesn't seem to mean much at Crayola these days. One-star reviews are pouring in to Amazon about the Crayola Colored Bubbles Wand Set leaving sometimes-indelible stains on children's clothing, concrete driveways, and walls. So unless you think your child's wardrobe or your home itself is in need of some random splotches of color...

...or unless you like the idea of your kids running around playing De Blob in real life...

...our recommendation is that you stay far away (and preferably upwind) from this truly puzzling product.

A few choice quotes from the rising tide of Amazon reviews offers a glimpse of the runaway rage you too can feel if you would only give this product a chance.

From C. Ayers (who uploaded the shoe photo above to Amazon.com to share with prospective customers): "This is probably the worst Crayola product I have ever purchased. The bubbles are little more than Crayola paint with a tiny bit of soap in it. The bubbles don't even float, they drop like rocks. This messy stuff ended up all over the backyard, my dog (who loves to chase any form of bubble and eat it) and of course, my daughter. If you've ever dyed your hair you will understand this: When I rinsed my daughter off after she played with this, it looked like I had just got done dying her hair green."

Jocelyn R. Mahoney: "These bubbles WILL make your kids look like smurfs, or your lawn look like Easter expolded, or your deck look like giant ink pens leaked everywhere. The bubbles, yes they LOOK cool because they are VERY brightly colored. But we know what that means because those drippy wet colored bubbles POP and that color splatters everything within a 2 foot radius. NOW think of hundreds of colored bubbles floating EVERYWHERE. They hit your house, your deck, your EASTER DRESS... then you have crazy candy loaded children running into the house and touching your furniture and carpet with their wet green and orange stained hands and feet and legs and HAIR. Oh, yes, it comes off easily with soap, I'll give it that. But who wants to spend a sunny day washing their dining chairs and carpet and kids' legs, and hair and deck and side of the house?"

Ashley: "If I could give zero stars that would be better. As others have stated, these bubbles DO NOT WASH OUT! They are thick and messy and have completely ruined my driveway and clothes. Also it rubbed off on to my light colored couch from my children's clothes and and my poor dog has blue spots all over him as well. WORST BUY EVER!"

New Mom: "My 4 year old had splotches of green in her hair, on her eyelid, her arm, and her shirt. Luckily it did come out of her shirt in the wash, but our back patio table is stained green. And it doesn't wipe off the skin super easily either. This is a terrible product, and what mother feels like dealing with this type of mess every time their kid wants to blow bubbles? ... The hardest part is going to be trying to get my kids to forget about them! But I'm sure they will."

AZ123: "My porch and sidewalk are covered in blue spots that will not come out."

Robert Hess: "I agree - this is not just the worst Crayola product, but the worst product that I have ever seen or heard of, period. No sooner had my son opened the bottle, did some of the super-blue soap drip onto our cement driveway. As I had feared just by looking at it, the stains didn't come off either with water or scrubbing. I'll repeat what others - 82 others! - have said before - it's NOT WASHABLE!!!!"

This, ladies and gentlemen, is what voluntary recalls are designed for -- salvaging tarnished customer relationships, avoiding embarrassing lawsuits, and putting an end to a monsoon season of bad PR.

Playtesting

2011-04-28T22:00:34-06:00

Z and I are working hard on a tabletop role-playing game that teaches math skills for her grade level. (She's homeschooled but working on first-grade math topics.) Its material will be standards-based (we're designing around the Common Core initiative standards) and in addition to tweaking combat mechanics ( want them to be very simple but allow for some strategy), I'm toying with how to create an RPG environment in which multiple adventures are possible and the adventuring party is free to roam about and find challenges that interest them. The game is "sword and sorcery" based but fighting usually isn't the best option, and we'll have dice-based mechanics for non-combat actions.

Free game, scratch made: Button Roundup

2011-04-21T19:37:15-06:00

Z and Jeremiah made up a game a few days ago during lunch using a piece of paper and a handful of large buttons, and Jeremiah handed me a copy of written rules the next day. After a bit more playtesting, the game took its final shape, and lo and behold, the man has now produced a two-minute video to walk you through the simple instructions video for Button Roundup.

The game for two to five players requires x*4+1 buttons to play (9 for two players, 13 for three players, and so on) and is played in a series of quick rounds, with rounds lasting anywhere from a few seconds (one perfect shot) to a few minutes in length.

Even if you have sworn off button-based games -- or even sewing-notion-based games altogether -- after too many nights of carousing, the soundtrack alone is worth the click. Did they play this game on Magnum P.I. or something?!

You can view and download a PDF of the rules here. That file includes one rule detail not in this video, which reduces the number of one-shot rounds.

Like it? Then Like it!

Two books to grow strong girls

2011-04-20T02:55:35-06:00

In a world full of media about girls that need to be saved or rescued or fought for, we were excited to see these recent books that turn the story on its head.

Not All Princesses Dress in Pink
By Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple
Illustrated by Anne-Sophie Lanquetin

I'll be the first to admit to a fondness for a tiara or some sparkly platform shoes, but I also like to dig in my garden and go on hikes, sometimes in my sparkly shoes. Lanquetin's pictures of girls in tiaras, mismatched clothes and bare feet beautifully capture the way little girls make both more and less of their princess obsessions than adults do, and the friendly, confident narrative written by Jane Yolen and her daughter Heidi Stemple shows girls that they can be more than just delicate, tidy, quiet things. In Not All Princesses Dress in Pink, girls play soccer and dance in the rain and use power tools and even escape by themselves from tall stone towers.

We didn't have many books like this when I was growing up in the 1970s (there still aren't many now) so it took the Riot Grrls and the punk princess aesthetic of the '90s to help me reconcile my love of glitter with my independent spirit. Books like Not All Princess Dress in Pink can help ensure today's girls don't have to wait until their twenties to embrace the best that glamour has to offer while shedding its constraints. If your daughter loves Fancy Nancy, please give her the opportunity to love this too -- those heels can be very confining.

My Name Is Not Isabella: Just How Big Can a Little Girl Dream?
By Jennifer Fosberry
Illustrated by Mike Litwin

Another great girl power book that has crossed our desk recently is Jennifer Fosberry’s My Name Is Not Isabella, the story of a little girl named Isabella who wakes up one morning and tells her mother that her name is not Isabella -- and changes her identity again at each transition throughout her day. It doesn't take long to figure out that Isabella is channeling not just other selves but historical women who have made a difference; the conceit is a playful way to offer young girls role models and biographical introductions without getting preachy or distracting from the narrative. One of my favorites is when Isabella gets on the school bus and says, "I am ROSA, the greatest bravest activist who ever was!" For each of her changes in personality, Isabella's parents respond with a sentence containing a verb that encapsulates the importance of that figure. For Rosa, Isabella's dad says, "Well, Rosa, MARCH out there and take your seat on the bus." Even the unusual construction of this book serves the story: Each identity change is featured in a double-page spread that is illustrated in a style appropriate to the historical figure, with the name and verb both in dramatic capital letters.

At the end of the book there is a short biography and picture of each of the women mentioned in the story. You might think that changing your identity every moment is not a great message to send to young girls (early elementary-age girls will probably get the most out of this book) until you get to the end of the story when Isabella goes to bed. She turns back into Isabella, "the sweetest, kindest, smartest, bravest, fastest, toughest, greatest girl that ever was..."

Bought Britax, Maclaren, or other baby gear from Toys/Babies R Us in the last decade? Read this.

2011-04-12T14:03:25-06:00

Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us have settled a class action lawsuit for alleged price-fixing by agreeing to reimburse consumers for a portion of their purchases on certain baby gear. Here's a list of what you might have bought at an allegedly illegally marked-up price, what purchase dates are eligible for a partial refund, what percentage of the purchase price is being offered as reimbursement, and how much that might be (based on today's retail prices):

The total settlement purse is over $35 million. You have until August 1, 2011 to file a claim.

To file a claim, dig up whatever paperwork you have to support the purchase -- credit card statements, receipts if you have them, cancelled checks, or whatever else can demonstrate that you made the purchase and, if possible, how much you actually paid. Our philosophy on these situations is that even if you aren't sure if your paperwork is enough, make a copy of it, fill out the form, and send it in. Head to the settlement notice to find out how.

(h/t Baby Cheapskate)

ZRecs Sponsor Giveaway: NewLeaf Clean

2011-04-12T03:01:39-06:00

Many thanks to the NewLeaf line of organic cleaning products, whose sponsorship of ZRecs over the last month has helped pay the blogging bills. We encourage you to check out their astonishingly straightforward and exceptionally non-toxic products -- you'll probably know what every ingredient is, and if you're like us, you'll appreciate the company's commitment to transparency. We had much more to say about the company back in March.

We're also pleased to report that NewLeaf has agreed to give away a second set of NewLeaf cleaners to a ZRecs reader (a bottle each of NewLeaf's All Purpose Cleaner, Glass Cleaner, Bathroom Cleaner, and Organic Dish & Hand Soap). If you didn't win the giveaway we launched this sponsorship with in March, here's a chance at redemption! We're looking for the answer to this question: Of chemicals commonly found in homes, how many have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer, and psychological abnormalities, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission? (Hint: This answer is also on NewLeaf's website. We aren't telling you the page this time.)

Email your answer to editors (at) zrecs (dot) com with "NewLeaf" in the subject line, plus your answer to the trivia question and your U.S. mailing address in the body. We'll accept entries until Thursday, April 14 at 1:00 p.m. CT and select a winner from all correct entries, and the winner will get a free $24 set of non-toxic household cleaners shipped to their home.

Good luck!

Two great deals from Amazon’s Toy and Game sale

2011-04-07T14:33:16-06:00

A handful of toys are on sale at Amazon.com through Sunday. Okay, several handfuls. As always, lots of chaff with your Wheaties here, but here are two we like:

Mystery Garden Game

Ravensburger's Mystery Garden was, at one point, my nephew's favorite game. Combine Twenty Questions, I Spy, and path-based boardgaming and this is what you get. The density of objects on the gameboard gives this game far greater longevity than you'd think, and the mural-style drawing compares favorably against I Spy games' random piles of junk-dumped-out-of-a-bucket.

Mystery Garden is on sale for $9 and change, from its regular price of $15.

Plan Toys Trike

We haven't used this Plan Toys Wooden Trike, but we love the brand and their construction (and timber sourcing) is always sound. It's the prices of Plan toys we sometimes don't like, so this item's 58% discount means you can get a really nice wooden trike for $58.25 instead of $140.

The MSRP listed on Amazon appears to be legit -- we checked it on Kangarooboo and Oompa for comparison, and they're both selling it for $140 too. Ouch. But $58? That's a good price!

Safety First!

Someone should really tell the folks at Amazon to get this out of their Toy and Game sale... Oh, wait, they do have it labeled as "Not for children under 3 years." It's all good!

The Whole Shebang

Don't need a curator? Check out all of the toys included in Amazon's Toy Sale. Just make sure to click on the category tabs near the top; the main page isn't paginated for some reason.

(h/t Baby Cheapskate)

Stroller Darwinism: Britax’s B-READY stroller knows how to adapt

2011-04-07T04:02:02-06:00

We're publishing a review from our favorite stroller reviewer, Baby Toolkit's Adrienne Jones, to coincide with a pretty astonishing sale on the Britax B-Ready Stroller that isn't likely to last long. (You can get a B-READY plus a Chaperone car seat or a B-READY second seat for a grand total of $400 [MSRP = $500 + $229 or $150].) If you're in the market for a versatile stroller that will comfortably seat two kids through several years of growth, read on to see what Adrienne thought of this stroller after several months of use testing.

Britax's B-READY stroller first struck me as a sleeker, more hip version of their Chaperone Stroller. The add-on "rumble seat" (a la Phil and Ted) initially looked like a dubious doubler (functional, but impractical). When my pregnancy abruptly ended in a premature birth, I soon discovered the brilliance of transitioning gear.

In its standard configuration -- a single-seater with the seat installed facing forward or backwards -- the B-READY looks like Britax's market competitor for high-end makers like Bugaboo and UPPAbaby. (It’s worth mentioning here that it retails for $500, which is at least $200 less than either of those.) The huge canopy, quality wheels & bearings, strong frame, adjustable handle, suspension, and multi-access lower basket speak to parents shopping for luxury and utility. The stroller is designed for use for kids from six months (or from birth, with an infant seat) through year five.

We used the B-READY in this basic configuration with both our young toddler and our preschooler, and found that the stroller had a great turning radius, solid balance, decent storage, comfortable handing, and overall durability. But when we added an infant (and her Britax Chaperone car carrier seat) to the mix, the stroller’s Swiss Army knife utility surprised and deeply impressed me.

Here's a quick video showing off its various configurations. I've used this stroller in most of them, and will discuss them in detail after your orientation.

Okay, let's get down to it.

Standard Seat (included)

The standard seat is great for little kids. Our two-year-old likes the high perspective, giant shade, and adjustable footrest. Unlike most strollers, the B-READY seats a young child at (or very near) standard table height. We regularly use the stroller in place of a restaurant high chair, and unlike most front-to-back double strollers, it can be angled so it doesn't block walkways with the child facing the table.

Our tall five-year-old likes the stroller, but his feet hang below the seat's footrest. His feet sometimes end up on the nylon front of the under-stroller basket. Because of zipper and seam placement it looks like he could quickly damage that nylon panel. This isn’t much of an issue as he almost never rides in the stroller, but it could present problems (cosmetic ones) if the stroller were regularly used for an older, taller rider.

Storage (standard configuration)

Almost all of the Britax’s storage is under the seat. Normally, I would hate this configuration, but with lower access panels from all sides and very open rear access, it works well.

I usually set up the frame, toss in my mid-sized backpack, then attach the appropriate seats. Even with my big bag, there's room to spare. It's where I can also stow the toddler and preschooler winter coats and all our library selections.

There's a nice organizer included which attaches to the rear of the basket and offers some very functional pockets, but it can't be used when attaching an accessory to the back of the stroller. I detached it when we brought the baby home and have never missed it enough to reattach it when using the stroller for only one kid.

Britax Infant Car Seat Adapters (included)

When my older kids were infants, I adored the ease of a frame stroller for the car carrier seat. The adapters for the Chaperone snap under the round Britax logo handle attachment points. These adapters can be left in place when the car seat is in regular use.

Lowering the Chaperone into the B-READY's receptors is easy and the seat latches strongly to the stroller. The stroller is well-balanced and stable with a Chaperone seat in place.

Removing the car seat from the stroller is counter-intuitive. My first impulse is to grab the normal car seat release at the head of the seat and lift the seat by the handle. This does nothing but entertain onlookers and mystify the occupant. The seat releases from the stroller are on the dual adapters (under the sides of the carry handle). They need to be pressed and held simultaneously, so the seat is not lifted off the stroller by the carry handle, but rather by both sides. While this is a safe way to remove the seat, it doesn't position the hands ideally for transitioning to car installation. I usually rest the carrier on my knee and shift my hands to the handle or the seat's head and foot so I can place it in the car base. The movement is awkward, but gets more fluid with practice. This off-beat release method seems like it might befuddle casual users like grandparents or baby sitters.

Another car seat adapter (accessory, $50) works with infant carriers by Graco, Chicco, and Peg-Perego.

Second Seat (accessory, $150)

We call this the rumble seat because it reminds us of those flip-open backseats on some antique cars.
It looks sharp and can remain attached when the stroller is folded, but I suspected that no kid would want to ride in that visually obscured position with their feet in the stroller basket. With load protests, our two-year confirmed that she has no interest in being this stroller's back-seat rider.

The rumble seat was shelved until we started taking neighborhood walks. With the baby's car seat in the upper position and both kids walking, I attached the second seat below. While my toddler shunned it in ideal conditions, she's willing to ride if gets too tired to keep walking or the weather turns ugly. I've also employed it, with her protests, when we've had to rush home unexpectedly and could not amble along at toddler-speed.

Lower Infant Car Seat Adapter (accessory, $80)

Though the second seat only has periodic use, this lower car seat adapter is B-READY's ultimate accessory for families with an infant (or two) or an older child.

Rather than installing the baby in the upper position and the social toddler in the lower position, this adapter allows the toddler to get the best views while the baby stays discreetly behind the scenes. With our preemie's vulnerability to illness, I am thrilled to have her mostly out of view and reach. Even the boldest stranger wanting to touch a baby will feel uncomfortable leaning down to interact while an adult holds the stroller. If the stroller operator doesn’t back away from the handle, there is a primal instinct that prevents people from putting their heads so close to another person’s knees and feet. I LOVE that. No one attempts to touch the baby if they even notice her in the first place.

Thanks to an older child in the limelight, few people even recognize that a baby is on board the stroller. When I took all three kids to an appointment for the baby, the nurse gave us strange looks when we were called from the waiting room. She literally scratched her head and contemplated my two-year-old as she double-checked the patient's name with me. I repeated the baby's name, and she looked around the waiting room and back at my riding toddler and walking preschooler. "Where is she?" I stepped back and pointed to the low-riding carrier. She laughed, and said "Best preemie stroller ever." Indeed.

The lower infant adapter can make the B-READY into a great twin stroller for infants. The wheelbase is much shorter than the typical front-to-back twin frame stroller.

The lower infant adapter attaches to the main stroller in a manner that doesn't significantly change the stroller's center of gravity. (I have been known to be quite exhaustive in my assessments of stroller tipping.) The B-READY remains firm on the ground and is not prone to tipping even when only the lower infant carrier is occupied. The stroller can be folded with the lower infant carrier adapter in place.

Size & Fold

Even folded, this stroller isn't petite. It can fit in Honda Civic trunk, but it might take some serious wrestling to get it into the boot of a Toyota Corolla.

The cost of its great stability is a pair of wide-set rear wheels that can catch on standard doorways unless carefully navigated.

The stroller latch doesn't always catch when folding the stroller, which is probably a good thing as newbies may catch their fingers when they collapse the B-READY. We class it as a real knuckle smasher, so fold with caution.

Step Lock

The lock works well, but sometimes it is tricky to disengage. If the user does not fully depress the lever, the green indicator only partially reveals and the stroller remains locked. I think this may be a safety precaution, but it feels ridiculous when I push hard on a still-locked stroller. A second press releases the lock, but does little for wounded pride. My preschooler likes to loudly narrate this situation “You need to take the lock off!”

Summary

The versatility of the B-READY is surprisingly handy and innovative. Being able to swap the stroller from a toddler/preschooler + infant double to a single rider or single car carrier allows me to only take as much stroller as I need on any given trip. I don't have to crowd a giant stroller into a small medical office if only the baby comes along. If both big kids want to hike, I can load the baby where she can see us (with or without car seat) and tuck the rumble seat in below should anyone get tired or hurt.

For our family with children ranging in age from newborn to preschool, the B-READY adapts to our rapidly changing needs. It allows me to try more solo situations with all the kids (like zoo trips) than I could with a single stroller, yet I don't have to commit to pushing a giant double everywhere.

Other accessories include a rain cover ($50), a boot cover for the standard seat ($40), UV mosquito net ($40), child cup holders ($20) and a bassinet ($150).

You can find the Britax B-Ready Stroller and its accessories on Amazon.com, where the B-READY is currently on sale for $400 (from a $500 MSRP) with a free Chaperone car seat ($229), second seat ($150) or bassinet ($150) thrown in. That offer won't last -- and if you click through to the Amazon.com page for the B-READY and don't see the offer, it's over.

Adrienne Jones blogs at Baby Toolkit, and contributes stroller and car seat reviews to Z Recommends. You can read her other ZRecs stroller and car seat reviews here She received the stroller from Britax, and is keeping it. (We have a policy of not keeping items we review internally, but don't impose this policy on our outside contributors.)

Links for 2010-11-24 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 PST

Babies on Airlines - Safety Seats Are Safer Than a Lap
Discusses potential FAA action, complications of using car seats on airplanes, and the CARES restraint.
A Warning by Key Researcher On Risks of BPA in Our Lives
An interview with Frederick vom Saal.

Links for 2010-11-23 [del.icio.us]

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 PST

Radiation Worries for Children in Dentists’ Chairs
New technologies are bringing increased concern for x-raying children's teeth.

Links for 2010-10-21 [del.icio.us]

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 PDT

http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-to-make-recycled-paper-flowers.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HowAboutOrange+%28How+About+Orange%29

Links for 2010-07-09 [del.icio.us]

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:00:00 PDT

Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning
The Instinctive Drowning Response – so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect.

Links for 2010-07-01 [del.icio.us]

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 PDT

My Four-Year-Old Son Plays Grand Theft Auto
Prepare to be charmed.

Links for 2010-06-17 [del.icio.us]

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:00:00 PDT

HP to spam your web-connected printer
What a terrible idea.

Links for 2010-06-16 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 PDT

The Walking School Bus
What a fabulous idea.