This being said I consistently made a diligent effort to offer more of a balance between boys and girls in selection. The market and industry often dictated what was “hot” for girls; however when it came to our little boys I had my work cut out for me! Sure there was always the token blockbuster film dominating the toy industry but who wants to buy the same product that every other little guy has in the neighborhood? Just like girls, our boys like to be voted “most popular” on the playground.

Here are a few toy ideas and websites to share from my years of shopping for specialty toys for little boys. Play value was always the key coupled with safety, education, and hand and eye coordination. Durability and quality were also key factors in my decision process.

Siku is one of my favorites for high tech, high level standards in toy trucks and cars. “Siku” is a German manufacturer and offers so much more than a dump truck. Who doesn’t need a Liebherr Hydraulic Excavator? In addition, back hoe loaders and street sweepers are popular. You can find these and more at 300Toys.com.

Quercetti manufactures a spectacular exclusive vortex loaded with multiple marble launches, paddle wheels and double length bridges. It contains 220 pieces, ages 6 and up. Made in Italy. You can find Quercetti on Educational Toys Planet along with several other unique and fantastic toy items for boys.

Be sure to check out Ravenburger on line and view the 2007 award winning “Pirates of the High Seas.” Your little one can hoist the sails in a supersize 3-D pirate game. Ages 6 and up.

Discovery Toys has a very popular toy for the toddler boy; I have bought this several times and has been a smash! It is called “Farm animals bowling set” — not only is it visually pleasing, it is safe, interactive and offers open ended play! I have multiple favorites, however I had to narrow it to a few so my final recommendations would be LearningResources and their “Wacky Wigglers.”  They are motorized buildingsets. Learning Resources also offers several other styles in this category. Melissa and Doug and the classic Radio Flyer are also worth a browse.

You can shop in quantity for your little guys as you do for your little gals, you just need to know where to look. The year has begun and birthday parties, milestones, and soon the holidays will once again be upon us. Begin now, take pride and have fun in toy and gadget shopping for our equally sweet little boys and their toys.

Happiness is having the brightest, biggest back hoe loader in the sandbox!

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions.

One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky.

He felt the worst had happened and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief and anger.

Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him!

“How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers. “We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.

The Moral of This Story

It’s easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn’t lose heart, even in the midst of our pain and suffering.

Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal.

Thank you Patricia for sharing this with us!

Everyone needs to make their own decisions about what food to buy, but I’m going to share my opinion here. One of the most important things to realize is that getting certified organic is a very expensive proposition. What this means is that there are many small farmers who grow everything organically, but they just can’t afford to be certified. How do you find these guys? Go to your local farmers market. Talk to shop and restaurant owners who source from local farms. Who are their favorites? Get to know the local players. If you know the people growing your food, you can talk to them about their growing practices.

If I have a choice of local, non-certified organic food and organic food flown into Chicago from California by a large conglomerate, I’m going to choose local nearly every time. This is made easier for me because I also attempt to eat seasonally. What does this mean? We only have strawberries in our house for a couple of months in the summer. And tomatoes? I never buy them off-season. It’s easy to find local, sustainably-grown strawberries in Chicago in June.

I also keep in mind a 2003 study by the Environmental Working Group (that I read about in the August, 2006 issue of Gourmet Magazine). In that study, they found 192 different pesticides on 46 fresh fruits and vegetables and determined that consumers can lower their risk of pesticide exposure by as much as 90 percent by buying organic varieties of the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables. These are:

Fruits
apples
cherries
imported grapes
nectarines
peaches
pears
red raspberries
strawberries

Vegetables
bell peppers
celery
potatoes
spinach

Last year, his daughter experienced kidney failure and faced a life and death battle within the walls of London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital. The ordeal left Depp shaken and saying, “To say it was the darkest moment, that’s nothing … It doesn’t come close to describing it. Words are so small.”

Fortunately 8-year-old Lily Rose has recovered, but Depp hasn’t forgotten what the hospital did for her, and to thank them he has donated 1 million pounds. It should also be noted that he made the donation himself, with no press and no publicity.

This probably didn’t surprise the hospital too much, since last year Depp spent several hours visiting patients in the children’s ward, reading stories and chatting. He also invited several of the doctors and nurses of that hospital to the Sweeny Todd premiere.

Quite a few of Depp‘s peers could learn from his selfless generosity, though I hope it doesn’t take an event like a seriously ill child for them to realize the impact they can make on causes dear to their hearts.

Photo courtesy of JohnnyDeppFan.com

Before you go to bed, run warm water over your clean hands for a minute. Take a big scoop of the Sugar Mama Honey Scrub and let it melt in your palms. Gently rub your hands together for two or three minutes making sure to get between your fingers and around your cuticles. When the sugar is gone and your hands feel oily, rinse them with water and pat dry.

When hands are still moist apply The Balm generously to your hands. Go to bed. Wake up with wonderfully soft and supple hands. During the winter months, this is a wonderful bedtime ritual.

Leave a comment on any post this week and receive free samples of both the Sugar Mama Honey Scrub and The Balm. Be sure to e-mail chatterbox@noodleanboo.com your mailing address!

Sweet dreams until tomorrow . . . .

StyleBakery introduces us to the Winkee — for cleavage coverage without a tank or cami. I can see how this would be useful, but I’m not sure I could actually wear it.

Manolo the Shoeblogger takes issue with Project Runway’s use of “iconic.”

But, whatever. The Manolo quibbles, as the obvious intention was to produce the piece that could be creditably sold by the Levis Company, something much more achievable than “iconic”.

No one recaps Project Runway like the Manolo — if you’re not already reading him, start today.

Carly Cais, at FashionTribes, dishes about celebrity style on a real person budget. On her must-have list: red dress with black belt, footless tights, thigh-high boots, and animal print ballet flats, all at prices you can totally afford.

Finally, the girls at Omiru: Style for All answer the age-old question “What do I wear on a date?” Useful whether you are 22 and single or 40 and married, really.

Banana Republic Monogram silk geo-print kimono-style dress, $148.00.

But being green isn’t easy, even for celebrities.

The Desperate Housewives star is determined to make her new home as green as possible, and that has caused a number of setbacks in the building of the home. Apparently it’s been tough for the Parkers to find builders who know how to build with the environment in mind. But, when all is said and done, their home will be made out of recycled wood and installed with solar panels.

That’s a great reminder to the rest of us that, even if it doesn’t come easy, we can make the extra effort to make good choices for ourselves, our families, and our environment. If that doesn’t bring joy to your heart, I can’t imagine what will. Thanks for the inspiration, Eva!

Photo courtesy of AskMen.com

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is an Omega-3 fatty acid (a good thing). DHA occurs in large amounts in breast milk and now all infant formulas are supplemented with DHA, recognizing the critical role of DHA in infant nutrition. DHA is an important nutrient for developing brain and nerve tissue in infants and children and contributes to brain, eye and heart health in adults as well.

Unfortunately, your child loses his or her main source of DHA once breast milk or formula is replaced with cow’s milk, which is low in DHA. DHA is found primarily in fatty fish, but the typical toddler just doesn’t eat much salmon and tuna. Ditto the vegetarian sources like spinach and soybeans-not exactly hot items on a kid’s menu.

The good news? Now you can find milk fortified with DHA. In 2007 Horizon Organic Dairy became the first U.S. company to supplement milk with DHA. Check out Horizon’s interactive site for a fun and easy way to learn more about kids and DHA.

So what did I tell my niece? I told her I thought DHA-fortified milk would be a good idea when she introduces cow’s milk. See if your pediatrician agrees…

Clooney has long campaigned to end the war in Darfur, and, along with Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, and Don Cheadle, co-founded Not On Our Watch, a charity to raise funds for and bring attention to Darfur’s people. Because of his work, the United Nations has appointed him as “messenger of peace,” a position for which he was specifically selected by the secretary-general. The position will allow Clooney to use his name and fame to bring attention to the work of the United Nations, and largely to the plight in Darfur.

While Clooney might be number one on some of our lists, he’s actually the ninth U.N. peace envoy. The other messengers have included Michael Douglas, Elie Wiesel, Jane Goodall, and Yo-Yo Ma.

Photo courtesy of clooneystudio.com