So cute it's scary

(If you don't know what Wordless Wednesday is, click here.)

The Kid Company for a a grown-up break

After a couple of serious posts, it's time for one that's just fun. If you go to the Sedona, AZ area (you should), I recommend stopping by The Sedona Kid Company. (I couldn't find an official website, but here is an article with more information about them.) Although I don't think they bill themselves as an "educational" toy store, items they stock tend to encourage exploring, imagining, creating, building and maybe accidentally learning something in the process. They carry Klutz books, puppets, rubber band guns, Melissa and Doug toys, dolls, those wooden tracks that you put together and then watch a marble spin down, and lots of good stuff. A lot of the items are out, so you can try them yourself. Yeah, they have t-shirts too, but you can find Sedona shirts lots of places. However, there are not a lot of places - in Sedona or otherwise - you can find windup toys these days.

It's fun even if you don't have kids. The hubs and I were up there today, and we had a great time dropping marbles down chutes and making small wooden figures dance and looking through bug magnifiers and learning things like how to throw a princess-themed tea party and how to never grow up. Honestly, I'm not really against growing up. But it's sure nice to have a break from it once in awhile.


The photo is of the sign out front - they said no photos inside the store. They are currently Sedona's only toy store and are trying to keep copycats at bay.

Keeping your little sitter seated

The fact that you shouldn't leave your baby sitting unattended on a table or counter top seems like common sense. However, if you have the baby in a little seat (like the one on the right), it must suddenly seem like it's okay - especially if it has a name like the Bumbo Baby Sitter Seat. Maybe people thought Bumbo was a babysitter rather than a product for a very young person who sits, i.e. a baby [space] sitter.

In any case, it's made to be used on the floor and shouldn't be put on any elevated surfaces. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received 28 reports of babies falling out of the seat. Three of those children had been in the seat on top of a table, fell out and cracked their skulls. If your baby has a Bumbo seat (or something like it), keep it on the floor.

There is currently a "recall" on the Bumbo Baby Sitter Seat. It's not the kind where you return anything. The company's just recommending you put a new sticker on the seat with extra warnings. Even if you are aware of how to use the seat properly, it might be a good reminder for anyone else who might be watching your child - like Grandma, older siblings and, of course, the babysitter.

To find out more about product recalls, visit the CPSC site.

Fly away

(What is Wordless Wednesday?)

Playing it safe

Did you know that there are self-defense classes for kids specifically to help prevent child abductions? I just learned that, and I think it's a great idea. You don't want your child to drown? Teach them to swim. You want to decrease the risk of them being kidnapped? Teach them how to be aware of their surroundings and how to get away from a potential abductor. When I was a kid, they mostly just told us not to talk to strangers, which doesn't always cut it.

There is a FREE Child Safety Open House in Glendale (AZ) this Saturday. They'll teach "breakaway" self-defense for kids, as well as internet safety, how to deal with bullies, etc. They're also giving away Child ID kits and doing fingerprinting. You do need to make a reservation. The noon-2pm class is already full, but last I heard, there were still openings in the 2:30-4pm class. Click on the flyer image (right) for more details. To register, either call 623.561.5425 or email info@keenesata.com with the names and ages of each child and your phone number.

If you're not in the Phoenix area or if you can't make it Saturday, there are Kidz'n Power classes all over the place. They're offered at all ATA Martial Arts schools. There's also a Kidz'N Power DVD, which you can Google or buy on Amazon. So keep those kiddos safe!

let's be frank

P.S. Last week I forgot I was supposed to be wordless on Wednesday. Sorry.

Better late-?

This is a little late of a follow up and a little late for Blog Action Day (it's still October 15 somewhere in the world...right?), but I still think it's a handy tip.

Regarding how to dry out bread and newspaper bags that you've rinsed out to reuse, Naomi recommends turning them inside out and hanging them from the fridge with a magnet. This works especially well if you have a little gap between the fridge and the wall/cabinets like I do. What else are you going to do with that space, anyway?