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Looking for something fun to do with the kids for Valentine’s Day? I found this adorable craft project on Craft Gossip and just had to share it. The idea, plus a fully detailed tutorial, comes from Crafts by Amanda, which is a wonderfully craftastic blog. I love this project because it’s easy, yet gives your kids the chance the chance to be artistic. The mess factor is minimal and the items are probably in your house at this very moment.

These are Egg Carton Lollipop Flowers! You just need items like cardboard egg cups, acrylic paint, mini muffin pan liners (2-4 per flower), lollipops and tape.

By painting the egg cartons, creating petals and then poking a lollipop through the papers, you can make these cute, colorful favors for teachers, friends, classmates and family members. Plus, your kids will have a blast. Tuck this idea away in your mommy brain when you’re trying to think of party favors too.

Now go check out Crafts by Amanda (@amandascookin), make a bunch of scrambled eggs to empty those egg cartons and get to it!

Images: CraftsByAmanada

Wondering what to get the little guys in your life this Christmas? Well, here’s my list of super-duper gifts for boys from toddler up to kindergartner. (I’m not being paid to tout these items, nor were any of these items freebies.) I’m compiling this list based on three criteria. First, these are toys my boys play with all of the time. Second, they are built to last and worth every penny. Third, I like these toys too. And that matters because they’re usually scattered all over the house, so I get to see them a lot.  I like to think of toys as home decor, don’t you? Anyway, let’s get to it!

Leapster2 from LeapFrog

Oh, how I love the Leapster2.  It was certainly created with little kids in mind. The colorful educational gaming device is chunky enough for small hands and it can withstand some serious bumps and bruises. Both of my boys have taught themselves how to play all of the games. The instructions are very easy to follow, even for toddlers. Both boys operate the controls with ease and the wand, which is needed for certain games,  is attached securely – yay!  The graphics are fantastic and if you take the time to download everything, you can see a summary of how long they’ve played (hours) and how well they are scoring in different academic areas. I love Leapster!

Kung Zhu Pets

If these toys had been around when I was little, I would’ve begged borrowed and begged some more for them. I think these animated hamsters are hilarious! (And they don’t stink or poop.) I got my boys the Kung Zhu Pets because those are the rugged (boy) version of the girlie Zhu Zhu Pets. These guys are ninja warriors. In fact, you can buy them armor! See pic at top of posts for fierceness. See, I told you they were cool. They make the funniest little noises and bounce around at will. We often race the Zhu Zhu Pets on the Shake ‘N Go track I mention below. Now that’s entertaining! Besides, this is the closest my boys will ever get to owning hamsters.

Razor Rip Rider Castor Trike

This is the modern day version of the bulky Big Wheels we all had as kids. This Razor trike is the coolest toy we’ve ever purchased. It is lightning fast. I mean, this baby moves. It’s easy to control thanks to the Razor wheels and castors on the back. My son picks up serious speed on it, but he can easily maintain control. It’s so smooth and maneuverable, he can ride it around inside the house too. Much to his dismay, a helmet is required either way.

Twlight Turtle

Another super toy/gift for toddlers! Both of my boys have their own Twlight Turtle (my older son has Twlight Sea Turtle) and we turn them on every single night. Twilight Turtle is one of the few toys that travels with us anytime an overnight stay is required. We’ve never used nightlights and I think it’s because of this innovative toy. The turtle illuminates the ceiling with tiny stars and a moon. You can choose blue, green or yellow stars, so it never gets boring. Plus, there is a self-timer so it automatically shuts off after 20 minutes. Love, love, love it.

Wheely Bug

I’m sure you’re like, “Come on, MommyQ, please stop talking about your love affair with Wheely Bugs.” No can do, folks. This is still one of my all-time favorite gifts for kids. I’ll go out on a limb and say a 2-year-old or 3-year-old might never stop playing with this ride-on toy. Everything about it perfection. The look, the design, the mobility.  If you click here, you can read all of my posts about this speedy little critter.

Toy Story 3 Shake ‘n Go Track

Omg! What a super-terrific toy for little boys who love cars. This is definitely the most sturdy, functional and fun race track I’ve seen. Period. It comes with two shaker cars, but any shaker car fits. The cars require some solid shakes (we think 7 is the magic number), but they race around the track a lot faster than you might imagine. My boys also race their ‘Cars’ cars, HotWheels, NASCAR cars and even Zhu Zhu Pets around the track. We’ve decorated with our own stickers to make it perfect. This gift is great for toddlers and my kindergartner loves it too.

Big Foot the Monster by Imaginext

This guys is patiently waiting in the closet for X-Mas morning. You may have seen this tumbling monster on The Ellen Show, because he’s gotten a lot of attention this year. Much like a Kardashian, he’s always headed for trouble, so it’s fun to watch. He roars and pounds his fists, and then he takes off rolling around and walking. He walks forward and backwards and the six buttons are happy, angry, sleep, fun, ball, and exercise. He even throws a ball. A+ for amusing.

Imaginext Bat Cave

This is another toy we’ve had for over a year and the boys still love it. The Bat Cave has all sorts of trap doors and secret entries, but non of it operated with batteries. It’s all run on imagination and that’s why I love Imaginext. You can buy extra figurines and accessories to make it even bigger. (I highly recommend the helicopter.) There are a few small pieces, so if you’re giving it to a toddler keep that in mind. The Bat Cave folds into itself and closes, so your kids can pack it up and take it to different rooms with no major toy spillage. It’s very cool!

Melissa & Doug Jumbo Cardboard Blocks

Jumbo cardboard blocks are a must-have for any child’s playroom. My boys absolutely love these blocks. We stack them, build tunnels, play games and more. The blocks are very easy to put together initially because they fold into themselves, so you don’t have to use tape. They can also withstand some serious abuse. I’ve seen a tower knocked across the room and the blocks survived without a scratch. Storing them can be a slight issue, because they take up a lot of room.

Nurf Reactor

Well, I guess it just isn’t a post about toys for boys with something potentially dangerous, right? I have to admit, this Nurf gun is lots of fun. We have to make sure nobody gets hit in the face, of course, but it is a riot. My 3-year-old has a little bit of trouble getting it loaded, because it requires a pretty strong pump. My kindergartner has no trouble with it and is getting to be a good shot. Not as steady as a Sarah Palin hunting caribou, but he’s decent.

The Babble Best Holiday Advent List is live for 2010! You can see 25 different amazing Advents for the holidays, divided into five categories. I was the lucky one who helped pull this list together and let me tell you, it is AWESOME!

Feeling splurgy? Check out the $1 million Advent from Porsche. Looking for an eco-friendly Advent this year? Take a look at all of the beautifully crafted Advents from the most creative Etsy sellers ever! The categories are Luxury, Traditional, Modern, Candy and DIY. You’d better get started because these cute Advents gotta be ready to go on December 1st! Here’s a little taste:

I came across these buttons on Etsy and they are just so amazing! I love the colors and the uniqueness and especially the price. $6 for a set! Any crafty mom will lose her mind over these. I don’t scrapbook, but I hear you can incorporate these kinds of cute goodies into it. (Not sure how that works. Someone wanna explain?) If you like to sew, I bet you can do great things with them. I don’t really sew either….

Anyway, take a look at all of them over on Droolicious where you can see the full post.

Yes, a paperie. And if you don’t know what a paperie is you might also need a dictionary. Ouch. Snap! Sorry, MommyQ hasn’t had enough coffee today. Anyway…

If you don’t have a paperie like Polka Dot Design – that makes your mouth water and your heart skip a beat, you’re totally missing out on party-throwing fun. From adorably tiny cupcake toppers to swoon-worthy invitations to knock-your-stilettos-off party favors, a reliable paperie is one of life’s perfect pleasures.

I think every mom needs a one-stop-shop for baby shower and birthday party inspiration. This fact is especially true if you’re like me, up to your knees in diapers, sippy cups, Goldfish crackers and a ponytail is your standard hairdo. Trying to be the creative party hostess can be as tricky as making my spirited 2-year-old get a haircut or trying to convince my 5-year-old that cauliflower doesn’t smell bad.

This is why I love Polka Dot Design. Struggling with a great teacher gift? Not sure what to do for a party favor? Need a dinosaur centerpiece? Of course you do. And you’ll find all of this and much more that will get your creative juices flowing.

“Calling all bugs! Calling all bugs! Do not come within inches of this fresh meat!” If my OFF! Clip-On device could speak, that’s what it would say. It might also say, “Paging Dr. Ryan.” It kinda looks like a pager or something. A pager/fan/Walkman without the headphones.

I bought it a few weeks ago and just tried it out for the first time. You see, if I walk outside for 3 seconds, I get 1,000 mosquito bites and my oldest child is the same way. I read once that bugs sense anxiety and that’s why they bite. I’m not buying that particular brand of logic, but I’m a victim nonetheless. No matter how much repellent we wear – be it sweet-smelling-lotion or peels-your-skin-off harsh – nothing works.

The Clip-On is very easy to use and is just a tiny fan that circulates repellent. It even has a nifty “use-up indicator” to tell you when you need a refill. You can clip it on or place it near you if you’re sitting still. I clipped it on my kiddo and it seemed to work. It’s totally odorless and very quiet. Just make sure you turn it off when you’re done. One of my friends said it’s just a silly gadget and accused me of being a marketer’s dream. That may be true, but if they made an animal-print Clip-On I’d be wearing it to outdoor events with heels & a cocktail dress.

I’ve gotta blog about my holiday shopping experience with The Land of Nod because it has been a pleasure. In my recent post, “Moms, what’s under your tree?” I mentioned that I bought the Home Sweet Play Home reading tent for one of my kids. I saw it at a friend’s house many months ago and loved it. My oldest kiddo loved it too and played in it throughout the afternoon. I made a mental note – “Get this for Christmas!” Believe it or not, my brain remembered.

I ordered the Blue Home Sweet Play Home and the cushion online. The website said both items would arrive by the 24th. I was a little bit worried, but the items arrived in plenty of time. When I took the cushion cover out of the box, I noticed the directions said to wash it before use. When I unzipped the cover to find the washing instructions, I was pleasantly surprised. The directions ended, “Do not dry clean. Do not pass go. Sleep tight!” Well, that was such a clever little treat. Making laundry fun – what a novel idea!

Last night, I put the clean cushion cover on the cushion and was so impressed with the fluffiness of it all. This is one luxuriously fluffy cushion! The play tent is beautifully made and it is quite stunning in person. I am so thrilled with this purchase and only hope it is as pleasing to my child on Christmas morning.

Find the tent online at The Land of Nod for $99 and the matching cushion for $49. It also comes in lavender, pink and green.

To make a long story short, I lose. There. I just blew the ending for you. You’re welcome.

As you can imagine, my kiddos got a hold of the crayons and found some serious wall space. Yep, they drew all over the wall upstairs in the playroom. Oh my, what a mess.

I know it’s not a huge surprise as these things happen with little kids and crayons all of the time. I guess I’m just surprised because I mistakenly thought we had made it through that wall-scribbling era without a problem.

Nope, they just waited and waited until the time was right. Luckily, one of the drawings was a huge jet that started at one end of the wall and went all the way to other end. And it’s magenta! What fun. All I can say is I love my Clorox Wipes more than ever.