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Give Up Coffee? Why Should I Stop Drinking Coffee?

Lin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:56 +0000

Give up coffee? Who, me? Why should I stop drinking coffee when I like the taste of coffee? Can someone really be addicted to caffeine in coffee? Maybe, maybe not, depending on which research studies and health experts you believe. Almost every morning I enjoy two or three cups of home-brewed coffee to start my day, and it’s not uncommon for me to have two more cups of coffee at night while writing or watching television, especially on cold winter nights.

If drinking a freshly brewed cup of coffee or two first thing in the morning doesn’t give you a jolt of energy to get your day started, reading the “evidence” about how caffeine is addictive and all the reasons why you or I should stop drinking coffee will be enough to give you jitters that last all day long. If the amount of coffee and tea I drink on a daily basis makes me a caffeine addict, then coffee addiction is an addiction I’m content to accept being what it is.

Are you a caffeine addict? Are you one of millions of Americans who kick-start their day getting a Starbucks coffee caffeine fix one or more times a day? I haven’t been to a Starbucks coffee shop in years because, as you know, you can make coffee at home and it’s a lot cheaper than buying coffee at 7-11 or Starbucks. I’m not even sure how much a cup of coffee at Starbucks costs these days, but I can think of many other more important things to do with my money than spending it on an expensive Starbucks latte or espresso.

Why Give Up Coffee or Caffeine?

Reading health-related articles that talk about the need for coffee drinkers to understand the effects caffeine has on a person’s body and advice to stop drinking coffee completely is enough to give me a headache, and I’m not referring to the kind of caffeine addiction commonly referred to as caffeine intoxication that can lead to death. Death caused by drinking coffee? Seems that way, especially if you are prone to drinking a lot of coffee in rapid succession, consuming too much caffeine and/or taking caffeine pills that may lead to an overdose of caffeine which can be lethal in extreme cases.

Researchers say caffeine intoxication or “caffeine overdose” can lead to a condition called caffeinism, bringing about a variety of physical and mental conditions that include nervousness, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, muscle twitching and heart palpitations, and that’s just for starters. Overdosing on caffeine or coffee kind of reminds me of hot dog eating contests, where contestants cram as many hot dogs down their gullet as humanly possible without killing themselves or becoming sick to their stomach, but who would drink 80-100 cups of coffee that quickly?!

There are just as many articles talking about the health benefits of coffee, tea and sodas etc (saying the caffeine content found in many foods and drinks we choose to consume are good for us) as there are “caffeine addiction” articles telling people to quit caffeine once and for all, including a large number of reported reasons why caffeine is bad for you.

Is caffeine bad for you or is caffeine good for you? People who consume caffeine on a regular basis, but say they are not addicted to caffeine and don’t experience caffeine withdrawal symptoms, will inevitably be told they are fooling themselves about their caffeine addiction because they have supposedly built up a tolerance to caffeine which can still be dangerous to your health.

Common Sources of Caffeine

Included amongst the most common sources of caffeine are coffee, tea, cocoa beans, chocolate, soft drinks and energy drinks. Caffeine is also present in some over-the-counter pain relievers, cold medications, chocolate pudding, coffee flavored yogurt and diet pills, just to name a few. Coffee drinkers who want to give up caffeine by switching to decaf should know that decaffeinated coffee isn’t completely free of caffeine either.

Some articles recommend that people wanting to live a longer life by incorporating a healthy lifestyle into their daily routine should stop drinking coffee cold turkey, only to be countered by other articles talking about the harmful effects of quitting cold turkey. Quitting coffee cold turkey is said to bring about some nasty side effects and withdrawal symptoms including headaches, fatigue, anxiety, irritability, depressed mood and difficulty concentrating.

Hello? Why can’t the so-called health experts simply make up their minds and provide solid evidence of their findings for us all to make an informed choice of our own, instead of being so contradictory and all over the map? There are a lot of myths associated with caffeine that even health experts can’t seem to agree on, and some of the so-called facts about caffeine and what happens inside your body when you consume too much caffeine borders on the ridiculous.

Just for fun, I took an online quiz to find out if I am addicted to coffee and the results of the silly test came back as I expected. I am not a coffee addict, nor do I experience any of the so-called withdrawal symptoms reported by those who claim to be caffeine addicts and are now trying to quit. On days where I don’t drink coffee or consume caffeinated drinks at all, I don’t get headaches or any other withdrawal symptoms others have said they experience.

Research studies and reports by doctors and scientists about the effects of coffee drinking and caffeine on the body can’t seem to come to any real decisive conclusion, so if you are trying to decide if you are a coffee addict or feel you should quit drinking coffee, gradually cutting back on caffeine is apparently the best way to quit caffeine.

Perhaps it would be too much to ask, but it would be nice if health experts would finally get their facts straight about caffeine consumption and what effect the various sources of caffeine in food and carbonated caffeine drinks actually has on consumers once and for all. Until there are solid reasons to stop drinking coffee entirely, I’m going to continue defending my coffee habit and keep on enjoying my coffee in moderation, like right now.

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How to Manipulate Parents and Get Parents to Do What You Want

Lin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:21:28 +0000

Learning how to manipulate parents, and doing whatever is deemed necessary to get parents to do what kids, teens and adult children want, sometimes turns into a virtual war between kids and parents. Manipulating parents, often referred to as emotional extortion, means that there are kids of all ages who will do just about anything to get parents to say yes to something, even when saying yes puts parents in a precarious position.

Do children manipulate parents? Oh yes they do, and adult children are just as good at stooping to whatever level they see fit to get their parents to do what the kid wants, and it doesn’t matter what it is children are trying to convince parents to do. The reality of how parents are sometimes manipulated when planning a wedding became a shocking and disturbing reality for a mom I’ve heard from before, based on the email I received this morning.

Regular readers are likely familiar with the article I wrote about who pays for what when it comes time to determine how a wedding budget will be decided and how the wedding, reception and honeymoon will be paid for and by whom. Late last year, shortly before Christmas of 2008, I exchanged a few emails with a mom who was struggling with the decision of who would pay for her daughter’s wedding.

This poor mom, who is disabled and barely able to get by on her meager income, was dealing with her own Bridezilla. Her daughter, who I referred to in the “who pays for what” article as “darling daughter”, has champagne taste on a beer budget. This young, 20-year-old girl pulled every manipulative tactic on her mom and dad that she could muster, in order to have the wedding of her dreams.

Bridezilla wanted what she wanted and she was determined she would get her Cinderella dream wedding, regardless of what the total cost of her wedding finally came to, and who would end up paying for it. Her want list for her wedding was extravagant to say the least, especially when it was to be paid for by parents who don’t have the means to pay for such an expensive wedding. She wanted it all – everything you can imagine that would go into having an expensive wedding, fit for someone on a champagne budget.

She wanted a horse-drawn carriage ride to the wedding venue and limo services to the reception for all eight of her attendants, plus the matching number of groomsmen, flower girl and ring bearer. Add to that the designer wedding gown she “had” to have, an expensive wedding cake and grooms cake, all the fancy wedding decorations and everything else this young lady believed she needed to fulfill her dream wedding.

Throughout our email exchanges, I provided this mom with numerous links to informative articles on ways to reduce the cost of a wedding to an amount that was manageable for her, her ex-husband and the groom’s family. Bridezilla cried, begged, pleaded, stomped her feet, called her mom mean and hateful names, told her mom and dad they owed her the wedding she had dreamed of all her life with one guilt trip after another, and threw a major hissy-fit every time something wasn’t going her way. Wow.

Once our email discussions were over, I wrote the “who pays for what” article and set it up to go live in March of this year, which is right about the time of year when “wedding season” starts kicking in and brides with their moms start working on wedding plans and searching for information online. Did Bridezilla get her dream wedding? Oh yes she did, and how.

“Mom” racked up a killer credit card bill for her daughter’s wedding, and the cost of the wedding that now sits on her credit cards totaled close to $10,000. That’s just the disabled mom’s bill, and when you add another $20,000 or so that was split between Bridezilla’s dad and the groom’s parents, I’d say she got her dream wedding alright.

Her wedding was held during one of the most popular and most expensive months to get married, Saturday, June 6th. The mom put her share of the wedding costs on credit cards, high-interest credit cards to be exact, which was the only way she could help pay for her daughter’s wedding. Guess what has happened?

After getting married just a few months ago, dear “darling daughter” wants a divorce, and she actually expects her mom and dad to “help” pay for her divorce lawyer! There are no real “grounds for divorce” to speak of, no accusations of abuse of any kind, she just “changed her mind” and decided she doesn’t want to be married after all.

Considering the sensitive nature of some of the topics I discuss on Telling It Like It Is, not much surprises or shocks me anymore, but THIS shocked me. Not only was this young lady way too young to get married in the first place, but she’s also one of the most selfish, ungrateful, immature, unappreciative, entitled, manipulative, spoiled brats I’ve ever heard of in all my life.

Who pays for the divorce? Only time will tell, but if past experience is a sign of what is likely to occur in the near future, it’s not looking good for this mom, and probably even the dad. What do you think? Do you think this mom and/or dad should pay for this girl’s divorce after getting married about 5 months ago? By the way, this mom had no problems with me writing about her situation as long as I didn’t use her real name, which I wouldn’t do anyway. Is this situation crazy or what?

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Genealogy, Family Tree Maker Family History Software, Genealogy Records Research

Lin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:43 +0000

Genealogy research and tracing my family tree history has been an interest and hobby of mine for several years. October is Family History Month and there is no better way to celebrate but to begin creating a family tree of your own with names, stories, photos, vital records, birth dates, marriages, divorces, deaths etc for a complete family history of your ancestry and roots.

Genealogy or ancestry research can seem rather daunting for a beginner, especially when you consider the time it takes collecting family documents and records kept in old Bibles, going to libraries checking through large volumes of books and files, family history databases, charts and vital records reports.

Then there are the newspapers, obituaries, cemeteries, tombstones, census records, church records, land and property records, deeds of ownership and much more. It would be great if diaries, personal letters, Bible notes and photos were all we needed to build a family tree, and it would make the process of building a family tree pretty easy.

Free Family Tree Makers

When I first started searching for information on relatives and ancestors to create a family tree online to pass onto my children and grandchildren, I wanted to collect as many details as I could for free. There are genealogy search engines and websites that provide information about family records and data for little or no cost at all (Geni.com), to get help in finding your family tree history and create a family tree online, or you can use family tree software on your computer.

MyHeritage.com is also a free family tree maker that allows users to create and print a family tree for free, but after trying it for awhile I chose Ancestry.com instead. Some “free” tree maker sites are really just a free trial period, where after a certain period of time, your free trial runs out and you must become a paying member to continue using the site. Personally, I would much rather go with a well known, highly respected and user friendly website or trusted genealogy software on my computer than to risk having to start all over again.

Even though you don’t need to become a paid member of a genealogy research site such as Ancestry.com in order to make a family tree, perhaps with the help of the free family tree finder from the Mormon Church Genealogy records site (LDS) or Yahoo Groups, it sure helps to have thousands if not millions of genealogy researchers doing much of the work for you.

To get an idea of the amount of information you can gather with or without the help of genealogy software for PC and Mac users, or family history sites on the internet besides those already mentioned, here is a list of some kinds of records hobbyist and professional genealogists use in their research:

Vital records – birth records, death records, marriage and divorce records

Adoption records – which, if you’ve ever gotten stuck while researching your family tree, adoption records can make genealogy research very difficult

Church records – baptism/christening, confirmation, bar or bat mitzvah, marriage, church membership and funeral records

Court records – civil and criminal records

Emigration, immigration and naturalization records

Medical, military and conscription records

Ship passenger lists

Hereditary and lineage organization records

Newspaper articles, occupational records, oral/dental records,

Passports, schools and colleges attended, alumni association records

Social Security, pension and tax records

Voter registration, wills and probate records

Deeds, land and property records

Family Tree Genealogy Software

Family tree software programs are available in compatible Windows versions and for Mac users to run on the Macintosh operating system, making your genealogy research a simple and easy process. Be sure the program you choose is not an old version and that it allows you to import Genealogical Data Communications, also known as GEDCOM files, and offers upgrades. Reviews of genealogy software for Mac users say Reunion 9 is the best family tree program, and while MacFamilyTree by Synium was given good mention, most preferred Reunion 9 overall.

Reviews for PC users show Family Tree Maker to be at the top of the list of genealogy software, easy for beginners and experienced family tree researchers to use. Legacy Family Tree tied for second place with RootsMagic. Software programs like Personal Ancestral File and The Master Genealogist weren’t given the best marks all around, with most recommending Family Tree Maker overall.

Surname Origin and Last Name Meanings

Have you ever wondered what the nationality of your surname is or what the origin and meaning of your last name is? Do you know what your family crest or coat of arms looks like? Discovering the origin and meaning of your last name is fun too, and you can get a lot of detailed information about your surname by using a free surname finder online.

Reading surname histories and discovering the meanings behind your family name, family crest or coat of arms symbols, shield and colors is very enlightening and fun. Being of part German descent, reading the history of the German coat of arms featuring an eagle with colors similar to that of the Flag of Germany in black, red and gold offered a good history lesson for me, which is now included in my family tree.

If you ever need a translation of the motto, flags and banners for your coat of arms or family crest and what they all mean, Wikipedia has a complete list of coats of arms articles, motto’s, emblems and descriptions that include Presidents and Vice Presidents from every state in the U.S., Canada and other countries.

Common surnames such as Miller, Jones, Brown, Smith and similar last names can make researching genealogy and creating a family tree tedious, time-consuming and overwhelming while trying to find past relatives and ancestors, which is why I personally recommend Ancestry.com to create a family tree online.

The list of things you can do with a family tree are virtually limitless. You can design or make a coat of arms that matches your family tree, look at coat of arms pictures and clipart online where you can download a printable copy of your coat of arms for your records, and even purchase a coat of arms plaque to hang on your wall at home as decoration.

I’ve learned a lot about my family history since I started a family tree online a few years ago, and I have found and met cousins and distant relatives who use RootsWeb, even connecting with them on Facebook and sharing family stories. If you haven’t already started your own family tree, I would encourage you to start a family tree today. You never know who you might find in your family line, and just how easy and fun it is to make some interesting discoveries along the way.

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Abercrombie & Fitch Pitches New Trashy College Line T-Shirts to America’s Sexualized Youth

Lin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:50:39 +0000

Abercrombie & Fitch is at it again. The “Abercrombie & Fitch pitches new trashy T-Shirts to America’s Youth” headline is creating quite a stir around the internet, and for very good reason. It’s called the Sexualization of Children and Abercrombie & Fitch continues to target American young people with their highly sexualized clothing lines and t-shirts. Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) has come out with a new line of t-shirts called “New College Tees” with inappropriate, sexualized messages appearing on the t-shirts.

College students may find A&F clothing styles appealing, but tweens and teens shop and spend their own money or allowance at Abercrombie and Fitch too. These tees are not appropriate for any age, let alone tweens and teens wearing such “sexy” smut. Parents would be wise to consider very carefully what department store gift cards to buy as gifts, especially gift cards or clothes from stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch.

The American Family Association and OneMillionMoms.com is spearheading an e-mail campaign to the popular A&F clothing store over their new “Get It On” Fall line of T-shirts. Regarding the new line of trashy tees, OneMillionMoms director Monica Cole said, “A few of their little slogans are pretty offensive to women in general, so you wouldn’t want your daughters or nieces wearing these shirts.” Cole continues saying the trashy tees are “only available in stores. It’s not online, and parents can’t even get a preview before they go in the stores, so they will be shocked; then it will be too late.”

Messages printed on Abercrombie & Fitch new tees:

Tie me up, don’t tie me down

All bed no breakfast

I always end up on top

Anyone you can do, I can do better

A&F also owns Hollister Co. which coincidently has a new “Surf Tees” line that is full of sexual innuendos as well, such as:

Chicks Dig the Long Board

Sand Jobs are for Surfers

She Goes Both Ways (Beaches & Long Boards)

Ride the Tip

Maybe Partying Will Help

Volley My Balls Please

OneMillionMoms.com and the American Family Association need your help to force Abercrombie & Fitch to pull their sexualized shirts. An email circulation by the American Family Assocation and OneMillionMoms.com says this:

“Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) continues its pattern of pushing pornographic-themed material into mainstream America. Abercrombie & Fitch has just begun offering their “New College” line of T-shirts.

The first A&F T-shirt pictures a young girl opening her blouse – exposing herself. A&F titles the image: “Show the Twins”.

The second picture is of a female running nude. A&F titles it: “Female streaking encouraged.” The next Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt is entitled: “Female Students Wanted for Sexual Research”. Abercrombie & Fitch does not merely sell a popular line of clothing – they sell a lifestyle. And because A&F clothing is popular among teens and college kids, the influence of their sex-as-recreation lifestyle is widespread.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention reports that Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain a major public health challenge in the United States. CDC estimates that approximately 19 million new infections occur each year – almost half of them among young people 15 to 24 years of age.”

How you can help: Send an email letter to Abercrombie & Fitch asking them to pull their sexualized shirts. After sending your email, call A&F at 614-283-6500 (press “0″ to speak directly to a real person) and let them how you REALLY feel about their continued sexualization of children efforts.

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Stocking Stuffers For Men-Christmas Stocking Stuffer Gift Ideas for Guys and Dads

Lin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:20:06 +0000

Christmas stocking stuffers are traditionally small, cheap and inexpensive gifts for filling Christmas stockings. Men, women and children often say that Christmas stockings are the best part of Christmas. Getting those creative juices flowing with new and unique stocking ideas for men and dads is often a challenge, especially if the guy in your life is one of those “hard to buy for” or “who has everything”.

So, what are the most popular Christmas stocking stuffers for men, guys and dads? It should come as no surprise that what tops the list of the most popular types of Christmas stocking stuffers for men or dads this year are cheap, frugal, fun or funny stocking stuffers for guys.

Grandparent Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers for seniors who have everything can be hard too, and that is why Christmas Gift Baskets and stockings containing candy, cookies and other edible treats are a favorite for grandparents. Dads, brothers, grandfathers, uncles, boyfriends, fathers-in-law, brothers-in-law, bosses, co-workers and corporate big-shots enjoy useful or practical gifts at Christmas, but that doesn’t mean that these thoughtful gift ideas can’t be fun too.

Adult Stocking Stuffers

While some families are primarily filling stockings with fruits, nuts and small homemade treats and gifts for a more traditional Christmas, others are adding stocking fillers with a more adult theme. Adult stocking stuffers include funny novelty gag gifts like a whoopee cushion, homemade Snowman or Reindeer “poop” made from mini-marshmallows, but adult-themed stockings also include sexy or naughty stocking stuffers for men to bring a bit of fire and spice to the bedroom. Buy sexy, naughty, adult stocking stuffers for men (and women) from Spencer Gifts Here!

The typical Top 10 Christmas stocking stuffer lists can get pretty boring, especially if the guy in your life is a computer geek or gadget freak. Techie gadget gifts for men that are small enough to fit into a Christmas stocking are selling out fast, but not at the Geek Store called ThinkGeek. At ThinkGeek, gadget buyers receive Free FedEx Home Delivery if you use the coupon code: DEALNEWS, so if you are looking for must-have geeky gadgets for the guy in your life, buy them now before they are all sold out.

Themed Stocking Stuffers

A popular trend in stocking stuffers are commonly referred to as themed stocking stuffers for a more personalized stocking. If you have ever shopped for Christmas gifts at stores like Things Remembered or collectiblestoday.com, you understand the concept of personalized or engraved gift ideas found there.

Themed Christmas stockings are similar to themed gift baskets, where Christmas gifts and personalized stocking stuffers have something in common with the gift recipients interests and hobbies such as the fisherman, golfer, gardener, chef or cook, sports fanatic, entertainment or movie lover, computer geek, Eco-friendly environmentalist or crafter, just to name a few.

Stocking stuffer lists can go on endlessly, depending on the who the stocking is for, but here is a list of affordable Christmas stocking stuffers and novelty ideas to help get you on your way towards filling those stockings without added stress. Be sure to fill those stockings with a mixed variety of traditional or practical stuff, but spice up those silly stockings for men, husbands and dads with a few sexy/naughty stocking stuffers too.

Christmas Stocking Stuffers For Men

DVDs

Music Cds

Shot Glass

Hacky Sack/Footbag

Bobblehead

Gadgets/Electronic Gadgets

Pooping Reindeer Candy

Flying Screaming SlingShot Monkey

Key Chain Bottle Opener

Balanzza Digital Luggage Scale

Candy Coal for naughty guys

Sex Deck Playing Cards for verrry naughty guys

Computer headset with microphone

Collision Kit

Personalized Christmas Ornament

Shoewallet for runners, joggers, travelers

Travel size games

Complete Survival Emergency Kit in A Bottle

Smith’s Abrasive Edge Grip 2 Stage Knife Sharpener

Pocket Get Off The Phone Excuse Key Chain

Golf balls or tees

18-hole stroke counter

Tennis balls

Fishing Lures

Sporting Event Tickets

Concert Tickets

Sports Collector Cards

Packets of seeds for gardeners

Small Portable Speakers

Small Handheld Massager

Book Light for reading

Laser Pointer Pen

Camouflage items for hunters

Hand Warmer Packets

Wine bottle opener

Travel Mug

Guitar Picks & Holder

Drum sticks

Compact Binoculars

Wallet

Money Clip

Cologne/After Shave

iTunes Gift Card

Personalized Luggage Tags

Personalized Christmas Ornaments

Remote Control Car

USB Flash Drive

Paperback Book

Jerky/Slim Jim snack

Shaving kit

Personal Grooming kit

PEZ Dispensers w/candy

Favorite candy/cookies

Leather Driving Gloves for men

Ice scraper

Quality pen set

Screw drivers

Scratch Off Lottery Tickets

Cheap Magazine Subscriptions

Boxers/jogging pants

Deck of Playing Cards

Dice, Poker Chips

Gasoline Gift card

Restaurant Gift Certificates

Pocket knife

Personalized/Engraved key chain

Geeky Gadget T-Shirt

Sunglasses

Cell phone accessories

Pocket calendar

Business card holder

Small tool/repair kit

Small office desk set

Mini first aid kit

Small emergency sewing kit

Wristwatch

Silver or gold neck chain

Batteries!!!

Ipod or MP3 player for runners and joggers

Back Scratcher

Flashlight

Tire gauge

Voice recorder

Collector coins

Pill case and cutter

Day planner

Hair products

Razors

Thermal socks

Digital Measuring Tape

Callpod Chargepod

Picture frames

Kitchen gadgets

Racy underwear

Sports water bottle

Novelty mouse pad

Harmonica

Kite

Paper/wooden airplane kit

Sheet music

Pedometer

Popcorn or popcorn ball

Sample/trial size men’s toiletries or soap

There you have 100+ stocking stuffer ideas for the men in your life. Guys, what do you want or hope to get in your Christmas stocking this year? What is your personal favorite Christmas stocking gift received thus far? Do you prefer practical stocking stuffers, personalized stockings, or are you thinking you might like to get a couple/few “adult stocking stuffers” this year?

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Most Popular Christmas Toys 2009-Hot New Toys For Kids Christmas

Lin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:01:43 +0000

Christmas 2009 is here. Are you ready? Every Christmas holiday season parents ask, “What will be the most popular hot new toys for Christmas this year?” The latest trends in new toys for Christmas correspond closely to the economy, which is why the “Recession Christmas” or frugal Christmas gifts term is often used by people looking for affordable Christmas gifts for their kids and teens.

Toy makers and manufacturers understand that people have less money to spend on Christmas this year and are making smaller versions of large more-expensive toys, with one example being the new mini version of last years big Fur Real dinosaur from the Hasbro Fur Real Friends line of toys.

A hot new trend in toys for 2009 are Eco-friendly, “Green” or recycled toys that are made out of recycled materials to help the environment. Toys made from environmentally friendly materials are called Green Toys, such as the Fuzz That Was by Mary Meyer, which are stuffed toy pets made out of old recycled water bottles.

Green Toys for Kids

An Eco-friendly green toy company in California called The Green Toy Company sells “Made in the USA” toys for kids from 100% recycled materials, including a toy recycling truck, a toy dump truck, indoor gardening kit, jump rope, sand play set, an Ecosaucer, a toy cookware and dining set, toy tool set, a toy dish set, a toy chef set, and a toy tea set – each made from recycled milk bottles.

Popular “green” toy brands like Sprig Toys, Green Toys, Plan Toys, miYim Toys and HaPe Toys offer a large variety of children’s toys for babies, toddlers and older kids at affordable prices that will help keep you within your Christmas budget. Check out the list of best-selling toys for Christmas or Chanukah and you’ll see that the ever-popular Leap Frog Tag Reading System by LeapFrog is still high on the must-have list, along with the English version of Bananagrams and the Spanish Bananagrams by the Bananagrams company. Here are some of the best-selling green toys for kids:

Green Toys Tea Set by Green Toys
Sprig Toys Eco-Truck Dump Truck by Sprig Toys
Sprig Toys Eco-Truck Loader by Sprig Toys
Green Toys Cookware and Dining Set by Green Toys
Green Toys Recycle Truck by Green Toys
Plan Toy Solid Wood Drum by Plan Toys
Green Toys Tool Set by Green Toys
Green Toys Dump Truck by Green Toys
Sprig Toys Eco-Truck Excavator by Sprig Toys
Sprig Toys Discover Rig by Sprig Toys

Hot Christmas Toys 2009

Other hot Christmas toy items this year for girls or boys include electronics such as the Radica Ucreate Music and Radica Ucreate Games by Mattel; the Jonas Brothers Pix Micro Digital Camera; the Disney Floral Pix Digital Camera; Hello Kitty and Friends Plush Doll and accessories; Zhu Zhu Pets (especially the hamster) and anything by the Vtech toy company.

Jessica Hartshorn, Senior Lifestyle Editor for American Baby Magazine, examined the most popular hot new toys for Christmas 2009 from the American International Toy Fair. Predictions of the most popular toys for Christmas include the comeback of classic toys, board games and puzzles, remote control cars and frozen snack machines referred to now as freeze pop machines.

Top 10 Most Popular Games

Mindflex Game by Mattel
Bananagrams by Bananagrams
The Settlers of Catan by Mayfair Games
Quiddler by SET Enterprises, Inc.
Wild Planet Hyper Dash by Wild Planet
SET Game by SET Enterprises, Inc.
Scrabble Slam Cards by Hasbro Games
The Settlers of Catan 5-6 Player Extension by Mayfair Games
Twilight Board Game by Cardinal Industries
100 Assorted Pokemon Trading Cards Lot by Pokemon USA

Children’s Learning Toys

Educational toys, aka “working and learning toys”, are making a big comeback as some of the best Christmas gifts for kids. Crayola has a “Drop and See” ball drop-style toy that uses “TaDoodles” to teach small kids colors, shapes and sounds, but is also fun for kids to play with. Toy brands like Hasbro, Fisher Price, LeapFrog, Melissa and Doug, Think Fun & Insect Lore working and learning toys for children are battling for the #1 spot of most popular educational toys for children on Amazon.

LeapFrog® Tag Reading System by LeapFrog
Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Baby’s First Blocks by Fisher Price
Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper by Hasbro
LeapFrog® Learn & Groove Musical Table by LeapFrog
ThinkFun Zingo by ThinkFun
Live Butterfly Garden by Insect Lore
Melissa & Doug See & Spell by Melissa and Doug
Fisher-Price Rainforest Melodies & Lights Deluxe Gym by Fisher Price
LeapFrog® Leapster® 2 Learning Game System – Green by LeapFrog
Melissa & Doug Magnetic Wooden Alphabet by Melissa and Doug

Keep a close eye on Melissa & Doug toys/arts and crafts for kids because these are cleaning up on Amazon! Melissa & Doug Arts and Crafts are selling like Hot Cakes, especially the Deluxe Standing Easel, and they are all getting rave reviews!

The toy fair also revealed a new and innovative kids toy called the Peek-A-Boo Bag from I-Play for toddlers that has become quite popular, which is a small square cloth bag filled with beads and various colorful shaped toy items. There’s a see-through plastic window sewn into the peek-a-boo bag where kids can shake, squish or squeeze the toy to move the beads around, revealing new shapes and colors of pink, blue, yellow and white.

The 2009 Toy Fair in London offered a few “best new toys of 2009” recommendations including toys from brands like Ben 10, Charlie and Lola, In the Night Garden, Peppa Pig, Timmy Time and Yo Gabba Gabba. What about you? Are you looking for Green Toys for kids to help the environment, or just trying to find cheap Christmas toys for your kids?

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Oprah Winfrey Show Coming To State Fair of Texas Dallas Fair Park

Lin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:16:46 +0000

UPDATE Below: Oprah Winfrey is coming to Dallas Fair Park, the home of the State Fair of Texas, on Monday October 12th, according to an WFAA news release. All we know so far is that Oprah Winfrey is scheduled to tape a show at Dallas Fair Park on October 12, but details of how Dallas/Fort Worth area people may be able to obtain tickets to see Oprah tape the Oprah Winfrey Show at the State Fair are still unknown.

Mike Devlin, WFAA president and general manager said, “We are pleased to welcome Oprah back to North Texas. Oprah is scheduled to be out and about, on the road across America this fall and Dallas-Fort Worth was one of the first cities chosen for a visit.”

“Oprah and her on-air contributors will be highlighting our area, and sampling the best of what North Texas has to offer. WFAA is pleased to provide assistance in bringing her to our viewers during the State Fair of Texas,” said Devlin.

UPDATE: Local residents interested in more information on Oprah’s visit to North Texas at Dallas Fair Park and How To Get Tickets to see Oprah at the State Fair of Texas in October, please go “www.oprah.com/audience” for ticket reservation info. You can also follow the State Fair of Texas on Twitter to receive updates on Oprah’s Dallas visit next month.

I wonder if Oprah will try any of the deep fried, heart attack on a stick, State Fair foods while she’s in town. In case you didn’t know, the State Fair of Texas is also known as the Fried Food Capitol of Texas. Maybe Oprah will have the courage to taste test the Deep Fried Butter at the fair. Blech.

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Kids Christmas Songs, Funny Christmas Songs For Kids, Children’s Christmas Music

Lin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:31:36 +0000

Kids Christmas songs that are funny makes listening to Christmas music especially delightful for children and preschool kids during the Christmas holiday season, and grownups often have a great time listening to silly Christmas songs too.

If you are looking for children’s Christmas music or carols for your kids to sing along to, below you will find a large extensive list of Christmas songs to choose from, perhaps even the ultimate kids Christmas music playlist found anywhere online.

You can spend a lot of time going through all of the online lists of Top 10 Christmas songs for kids or even lists of some Top 25 kids Christmas songs, but here you will find a total of 103 Christmas songs for children.

If you are looking for a list of the best Christmas music that includes traditional Christmas songs, funny Christmas songs for kids, Spanish Christmas Carols or even Christian Christmas music, look no further because this is the only list you will need. Having downloadable Christmas songs to listen to on an iPod, mp3 player or in your car cd player will definitely help you and your kids get in the Christmas spirit. Enjoy!

Kids Christmas Music – Funny Christmas Songs

In no particular order, here the Ultimate List of Christmas Songs For Kids:

Keep in mind you can download Christmas music with lyrics, midi files and Christmas song books. You can also download Christmas sheet music to learn how to play Christmas songs on virtually all musical instruments including piano, guitar, flute, harmonica, coral, brass, violin, woodwind and many more.

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Stocking Stuffer Ideas: 103 Christmas Stocking Stuffers For Kids and Teens

Lin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:56:02 +0000

Do you ever have trouble coming up with new ideas for filling Christmas stockings? Christmas stocking stuffers for kids and teens are often one of the last things parents or grandparents shop for during the Christmas holiday season, and by the time you decide to buy kids candy stocking stuffers in the cheap dime store aisles, all the good stuff is gone.

If you think kids stocking stuffers are a challenge, just wait until your kids become teenagers and you find the typical stocking fillers of candy or small toys just doesn’t cut it anymore. That’s usually when parents start feeling like there is no such thing as cheap stocking stuffers anymore, often finding themselves spending a small fortune on filling stockings when the money may be better spent elsewhere.

Watching kids and teens discover the unique little goodies in their Christmas stockings is always a fun thing for families come Christmas morning, that’s for sure. Parents are either finding cheap and creative ways to fill xmas stockings during this Christmas recession we’re in, including sticking to traditional ideas of filling stockings with fruits and nuts, while other parents have decided not to fill stockings at all or at least use very small Christmas stockings this year.

If you are looking for some new stocking stuffer ideas that won’t break the bank, here is a list of 103 stocking stuffers for kids and teens that are inexpensive, but will also light up those cute little faces Christmas morning.

Stocking Stuffers for Kids – Boys or Girls

Matchbox or Hot Wheel cars
Model airplane kit
The famous SlingShot Flying Monkey, cow, frog, duck, pig or chicken.
Yo-Yo
Magic cards or playing cards
Small puzzles
Gift cards
Bath toys for babies, toddlers and children
Colored pencils, crayons, coloring books, markers
Finger paints
Play-Doh or Silly Putty
Candy and chocolates
Costume jewelry for kids
Cheap hair accessories
Small arts and crafts for kids
Chapstick, flavored lip-gloss, play makeup, nail polish
Glittery body gels, bubble bath, scented bath soaps
Stickers, diary/journal, pens
Small bath toys
Small wallet or coin purse
Gum or mints
Small baby dolls
Small purse/handbag
Mini lego sets
Small stuffed animal
Pocket Etch A Sketch
Nightlight
Book or kids magazine subscription
Stamp pad and stamps
Silly novelty shoelaces
Slinky!
Novelty toothbrush
Kids stationery or note cards
Piggy bank
Kids Wrist Watch
Card games
Activity books/Word search for kids
Jump rope
Small Hi Bounce ball
Hand or Finger Puppet
Small kaleidoscope
Small travel games
Bubbles
Marbles
Disposable camera
Cds/DVDs
Harmonica, flute/recorder
Movie tickets
Perfume/cologne
Hat, mittens/gloves, scarf
Sing Along Microphone
Socks/Slippers
Handheld games for kids
Collectible sports cards
Batteries (always a must-have)

Christmas Stocking Stuffers For Teens

Cds/DVDs
iTunes Gift Card
Disposable or Digital camera
Perfume or cologne
Chapstick/lip gloss
Gum/mints
IPod and/or iPod Ear Buds
MP3 player
Teen/tween wrist watch
Yo-Yo for teens
Candy and chocolates
Nail polish and makeup
Bath products
Hair Gel/Styling Products
Hair accessories
Small remote control cars
Rubik’s Cube brain teaser
Jewelry for teens
Manual or Electric razor
Votive Candles
Snow globe
Paperback book
Hand lotion/body lotion
Shaving gel and Aftershave
Keychain for teen drivers
Movie tickets
Events/Sports tickets
Scratch off tickets
Mini Tool Kit
Personal Grooming Kit
Deck of cards
Gas station gift card
Cell phone accessories
Wallet or money clip
Sunglasses
Amazon Gift Cards
Concert tickets
Borders Gift Cards
Flashlight
Reading Light
Electric toothbrush
Journal/Diary/Planner
Tire gauge
Restaurant Gift Certificates
Hacky Sack/Footbag
Twilight merchandise/stuff
Personalized Christmas ornament
Coupons for “no chores” day

Got any Christmas stocking stuffer ideas to add to the list? What are some of the typical or traditional stocking stuffers you or your family add to stockings every year? Is your family doing away with Christmas stockings this year, or perhaps using smaller stockings?

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Best Selling Children’s Books-New York Times Children’s Books Best Seller List

Lin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:30:08 +0000

The New York Times has released a new list of the best selling children’s books which includes picture books and chapter books that children of all ages love to read. Reading over the list of the best selling children’s books, and how some books remain on the top sellers list for several weeks, you can clearly see that kids books are still a favorite pastime.

These books may or may not make it on the list of best selling children’s books of all time, but if nothing else, some of these books at least deserve to be on the top of the list of most popular children’s books and added to your Christmas gift list for kids that like to read.

Here is the Top 10 list of best selling children’s picture books and chapter books, according to the NY Times, for a total of 20 children’s books.

Best Selling Children Picture Books

1. Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth. (Ages 4-8) 32 weeks on the best seller list!

2. Gallop!: A Scanimation Picture Book by Rufus Butler Seder. (Ages 4-8) 95 weeks on the best seller list!

3. Marley Goes to School by John Grogan. (Ages 3-8) 6 weeks on the best seller list!

4. Goldilicious by Victoria Kann. (Ages 5-8) 15 weeks on the best seller list!

5. Oceanology: The True Account of the Voyage of the Nautilus by Ferdinand Zoticus deLessups. (Ages 9-12) 1 week on the best seller list!

6. Swing! by Rufus Butler Seder (Ages 4-8) 47 weeks on the best seller list!

7. The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinckney (Ages 4-8) 1 week on the best seller list!

8. Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library! by Vicki Myron (Ages 4-8) 1 week on the list of best sellers!

9. Fancy Nancy: Explorer Extraordinaire! By Jane O’Connor (Ages 4-7) 19 weeks on the best seller list!

10. Truckery Rhymes (Jon Scieszka’s Trucktown) by Jon Scieszka (Ages 3-8) 2 weeks on the best seller list!

Best Selling Children Chapter Books

1. Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins (Ages 12 and up) 1 week on the NY Times best seller list!

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Ages 12 and up) 52 weeks on the best seller list!

3. Tricks by Ellen Hopkins (Ages 14 and up) 2 weeks on the best seller list!

4. Sent (Missing) by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Ages 8-12) 2 weeks on the best seller list!

5. L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad (Ages 14 and up) 12 weeks on the best seller list!

6. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (Ages 12 and up) 6 weeks on the best seller list!

7. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Ages 10 and up) 49 weeks on the best seller list!

8. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Ages 14 and up) 46 weeks on the best seller list!

9. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (Ages 14 and up) 12 weeks on the best seller list!

10. Daniel X: Watch the Skies by James Patterson and Ned Rust (Ages 12 and up) 6 weeks on the best seller list!

Getting children or teens to read more often, and off of those addictive video games or vegetating in front of the television set for hours on end, is a very good thing.

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