http://www.mommyq.com MommyQ

First of all, I’d like to preface this post by saying it is not a scam. This is a very real fundraiser for a very real cause.

In honor of a great daddy and equally great granddaddy, friends of mine have started the “Gre-Dad’s Gift” this holiday season.  It stems from a thoughtful idea that always seemed to get lost in the shuffle. This year, that idea was given life.

Thanks to fundable.com, the Perks family can pay tribute and do something wonderful for a family in Blacksburg, VA. Find out how you can help!

If you have a baby with tummy issues, you might want to consider Dr. Brown’s baby bottles. I still remember the day my husband brought them home. He said he had the “Dr. Brown’s” and I was really excited because I thought he meant the Cream Soda.  Anyway, as an infant, our first son could not sleep due to all of the burping, gas and spitting up. A friend of ours recommended Dr. Brown’s. And believe it or not, these bottles worked miracles.

What makes them unique is the patented venting system.You can even watch an animated diagram on the website. Once you see how it works, it just makes perfect sense. Now they make BPA-free polypropylene plastic bottles and glass bottles. We had plain old plastic when we first started using them four years ago. When my second child was born last year, we switched to the polypropylene ones. If you’ve tried other bottles and they aren’t working, give these a shot. Glass 2 pack (7 oz) retails for $15 at BabyEarth.

With over 1.2 million readers a month, Babble certainly has reason to celebrate. Best wishes for continued success in the toddler years and beyond. Keep it coming. And for all of you that haven’t visited Babble yet, take it for a spin.

While thumbing through the Pottery Barns Kids catalog, you’ve probably seen these plush sleeping pals. Maybe you already own one. If not, let me just say this is a great product and in my opinion, worth the money.

Even if your kiddos are too young for sleepovers, you’ll still use it a lot. We use ours as a nap mat at school. Talk about luxurious! My active preschooler always rests during nap time and we think it’s because this sleeping bag is so comfy. Perfect for those cold winter days!

Made of high quality cotton, it is plump and cozy. It’s also very easy to roll up and closes with Velcro tabs. You can wash it on the gentle cycle and tumble dry on low. The blue one and the red one are on sale for $64. A functional treat that happens to be adorable too – 2 thumbs up!

Sesame Street. Need I say more? The pioneer of all educational kid’s television shows. It debuted in 1969. According to Wikipedia, an estimated 77 million Americans watched the show as children. Bert, Ernie, Big Bird, Grover and Cookie Monster were the funny characters that we loved.

Thanks to Gund, your child’s favorite Sesame Street characters are interactive and cuddly, even on the inside. These colorful puppets remind us that Sesame Street is still a favorite, even in the days of iPod and Wii.

On a personal note, I’m not a huge fan of Sesame Street. I remember watching it as a kid, but not really loving it. I was more of an Electric Company kid. “Hey, you guys!”

However; my younger sister was a big fan of Sesame Street. On her 8th birthday she got the big Bert puppet. See photo. Yep, he only had four fingers. And there wasn’t anything cuddly about him. In fact, even as kids we thought he was creepy.

Anyway, Bert sat right beside my sister’s bed at night until he got a bit too handsy. My sister swears he pinched her on the butt. She says she woke up and he was floating above her (he didn’t have feet!) and he pinched her. In fact, if you asked her about it today – and she’s in her 30s – she’d still tell the same story. No, she’s not delusional or drunk. She’s just a normal adult with a funny story to tell about her creepy puppet. We laugh about it all of the time. It’s a family classic.

Needless to say, Bert lived in a box for the rest of his days in our home. Poor guy, he never really had a chance. So what kind of funny, yet odd, childhood memories do you have about your toys?

I’m sorry, but these are just too cute not to blog about. I was looking for something fun to write about on Babble, when I came across these fancy baby pants.

Festive holiday treats for baby’s top and bottom have arrived in the shape of Baby Jake’s Fuzzy Buns. Diapers covers are super-luxurious thanks to the “Poodle Shag” fabric. Holiday set comes with matching fuzzy hat. If you just want some everyday fuzziness, you can find these sets in pastel pink, baby blue, mint green and periwinkle with an optional matching hat. What a great gift idea for $35.

If fancy pants aren’t your bag, how about these luxurious Monogram Blankets (also Poodle Shag) on sale for $54. Cute! Cute! Cute!

Not sure where this one came from, but it’s certainly funny enough to share! I posted it on Shine. Click here to read it.

Have a funny holiday joke to share? Leave a comment! I’ll post the best ones next week. Thanks!