Design | Move over play dough, here comes BUBBER

When the sales person at our local toy store mentioned the name to me, I just had to take a closer look.  Upon closer inspection, my conclusion is that this product is not only incredible, but the name is ingenius.  Bubber is this amazing non-toxic, gluten free modeling compound with a light, dry texture you can shape, roll, imprint, and cut just as you would with play dough.  With Bubber, kids still get all the benefits of playing with play dough -- open ended play, creativity, and fine motor skills development, but without any of the mess, smell, or residue.  Plus, Bubber never dries out so you can play with it over and over again.  This is my new go-to eco-gift for the 10 and under crowd.

Kid Reads | Judging a book by it's cover

I love giving books and getting books. Given the time of year, I've been on the hunt for chapter books to read to my own voracious beginner reader and am thrilled to discover two great books. The first is NICOLAS by Rene Goscinny, a collection of 19 escapades of a mischievous schoolboy and his friends.  It was originally published in French in 1959 and is now available in English with wonderful illustrations by Sempe.  The second is MY FATHER'S DRAGON by Ruth Stiles Gannet, adventures of Elmer Elevator on Island of Tangerina and Wild Island.  Both these books caught my eye at my daughter's schools book fair because of the feel of their heirloom quality cloth cover and illustrations.  I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but with these two, I just couldn't help myself ... it also helps that both these stories are classics that never get old.  I can't wait to give these to my daughter and to starting reading them to her.