As we barrel toward the holidays, it is easy for me to think “we have too many toys!” and my boys just don’t need a thing. Other times, we visit friends for playdates and I think the opposite. Maybe my sons have all the wrong toys. Ugh.

Scary toy pile from Wendy

Here are some how-to instructions for doing an effective toy box sort (adapted from the guidelines by Discovery Toys‘ educational consultants):

1. Sort. Make two big piles: “toy keepers” and the “toys you can do without” — More often than ...
   
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Plan Toys are exactly the toys I want my kids to like. They are attractively designed, eco-friendly wooden toys without a licensed character in sight. I believe they allow for kid-powered creativity and open-ended preschooler inventiveness like pretending the little crazy-haired dude is a princess who wishes she were an owl.

When we received the Activity Bus from Plan Toys, it was my sons’ favorite toy for one day. Only.

They loved setting up the little bus, desks, and non-gender-specific figurines in little configurations. I was smitten. And they seemed happy too.

On the second day, Holden got mad at us (because we ...

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• Little kid-sized backpacks – My son loves having his little backpack that fits his preschooler body just right. Cool Mom Picks shared a 25% off code for these hip toddler backpacks from Four Peas. Type in COOLKIDS at check-out.
• Naptime gift project for shutterbugs – Tracey from ShutterSisters has posted a template for a 2010 calendar that fits in a jewel case intended for CDs. You add your own photographs and Tracey’s taken care of the rest. The template is a set of PSDs, so Photoshop knowledge is required.
• A guide to being a baby cheapskate – Angie collates tons of coupons ...
  
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We were already fans of the Wii for new parents long before we heard of Wii Fit. But now, geeking out with video games and trying to be fit shredheads with Jillian are two great tastes that taste great together. Thanks to Sports Authority, we’re giving away one Wii Fit Plus Board and Jillian Michaels’ new fitness game.

Sports Authority is opening up a new Wii Fit area of their store, called the Wii Fit Plus experience, where you can go and try out some of the games. Moms having more fun? We couldn’t agree more!

If you’re anywhere near the Sports ...

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