LilSugar

Toy Box: Muppet Whatnot Workshop

babysugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:00:07 -0700

It is always an exciting afternoon when the FAO Schwarz holiday catalog arrives. While I may still be planning my Halloween activities, it is never too early to sit down and thumb through the book of extravagant toys for children of all ages. This year's edition was filled with massive stuffed animals and a $10,000 military ATV, but what really caught my eye was the new Muppet Whatnot Workshop that is due to open next week.

You know the extra Muppets you see when watching Sesame Street or old versions of The Muppet Show on YouTube? The ones that are in the background and rarely have any big lines? Those are Whatnots and now you and your lil one can work together to create a custom puppet of your own. To see how the process works, and how much this creation will cost, read more.

After choosing a body, eyes, nose and hair style, you can select the appropriate clothing and submit your design online. Approximately a month later, your personal Whatnot arrives in the mail. The kits ($130) will be sold exclusively through FAO Schwarz and include reusable stickers of each of the design options, as well as a gift card to cover the cost of the design, creation and shipping of your puppet.

While the price may sound a bit steep, the idea of having a Muppet of my own has me actually putting this on my holiday wish list.

Toy Box: Puppet Theaters

babysugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Stuffed animals sit on shelves, but puppets make magic happen. No matter how old you are it's hard to resist a singing, dancing or talking plush toy. And, the handheld performers can be entertaining and educational for kids- stimulating their imaginations and encouraging creative play. Tots use fine motor skills to move the puppets and tune their verbal skills through storytelling.

All you need to concoct a stage is an empty box or the back of a sofa, but if you want to provide a theater-like experience, many puppet theaters are on the market. From large, free-standing stages, to tabletop versions designed for finger puppets, there's one to satisfy any imaginative mind.

To see some of our favorite ones, read more

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Just a Minute: Sock Puppets

LilSugar — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:00:14 -0800

While what happens to disappearing socks in the wash remains a mystery, here's a quick tip on what you can do with the spares. Take a sharpie marker and draw faces on them and pop them in your purse.

The next time your child fusses in a long line or waiting room, pull them out. Just the right size for lil hands, these impromptu puppets should provide adequate entertainment until the end of the line. And, if they get lost - there will always be another one in the next load of laundry.

Source

Kidoodles: Make a Sockmonster!

LilSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:30:43 -0800

Sock monsters are one of my favorite on-the-fly entertainment tricks and a cost-free way to creatively reinvent solo socks. If the simple Sharpie-drawn monster is beneath your crafty standards, try Monster Munch's free downloadable pattern and instructions. It's a quick eight-step process that involves two socks, two buttons, a bit of felt, and some stuffing. Try it once and then teach your grade schooler to make their own.

Think You Know Elmo?

babysugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 06:00:33 -0700

Who is America's favorite sweet, red, furry Sesame Street character? Elmo, of course! Animal might resent that statement, but the drumming critter is hardly what might be described as sweet. Elmo, on the other hand, is a kind and funny lil puppet that most moms don't mind introducing to their wee one. And like any friend, you want to know all about him. Take the quiz to see if you know your Elmo trivia.

Source

Take the quiz

Lil Links: Father's Day Kid's Craft, Spruce Up His Golf Clubs!

LilSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:00:22 -0700

Sock Puppet Golf Covers - Alpha Mom
Nia Vardalos tried everything to have a baby -Celebrity Baby Blog
Renee Baio says first BBAF fundraiser was a success - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Mom confesses she hates her neighbor's kids - CafeMom
The best ways to use Summer produce - Health
Flattering maternity swimsuits - Parenting
Benefits of parenting: kids aren't pretentious - The Poop
Barnyard soaps for bath time fun - Inhabitots

"Wee"kend Getaway: Nantucket Island

LilSugar — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:00:09 -0700

An island getaway that offers parents and wee ones an opportunity to soak up the sun and enjoy a few days of leisure? Sign me up!

Located just 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, getting to Nantucket, which means the faraway island in the language of the Wampanoag tribe, is half the fun. While small planes – and a few commercial airliners – travel there, arriving by slow or high-speed ferry from Hyannis helps put the body and the mind in vacation mode as parents and their offspring approach the 19th century whaling village.

With nary a traffic light, fast-food restaurant or Starbucks in sight, Nantucket offers families plenty of adventure along its beautiful beaches.

What could be better for families than the aptly-named Children's Beach. Located right in the island’s harbor, this beach is known for its shallow waters, playground, casual restaurant and lifeguard. Concerts and puppet shows are performed right in the beach’s bandstand.
Jetties Beach, about a mile from town, provides access to rentable watersport equipment, including kayaks, windsurfing boards and Sunfish.

For non-beach activities, read more.

The Whaling Museum can teach families about life in the former whaling village. Complete with a 46-foot sperm whale skeleton, a whaleboat and a discovery room where kids can rummage though sea captains' chests is a perfect break from the sun.
Take an afternoon boat ride 15-25 miles offshore on a whale watching tour. Tour goers are guaranteed to spot a Humpback, Finback and Minke Whale while learning about conservation efforts.
Take a nostalgic cruise through Nantucket Harbor on an afternoon ice cream cruise that shows off the harbor’s famous sights while serving kids the best ice cream on island.
Lil pirates will be begging to go on the Pirate Adventure cruise, a sunset sail on a 31-foot sloop where tots put on their pirate hats, shoot the cannon and go on a treasure hunt around the wharf.
Nantucket’s five paved paths offer plenty of bike riding terrain that can take families past the Siaconset fishing village’s beautiful cottages and past unbelievable ocean-front mansions.

Keeping Tots Occupied at the Passover Table

LilSugar — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:00:00 -0700

Depending on how religious your family is, Passover Seders can either run from 30 minutes to well over two hours, not including the festive meal. While you might have been happy to spread your four glasses of wine over a two hour reading of the Haggadah prior to your tots, now you need to find a way to occupy your lil one throughout the service.

In addition to bringing your dining out standbys - like books and wiki sticks, consider some holiday-related activities next week. A quick online search brings up tons of free coloring pages that can easily be printed out and brought to the table. Non-messy craft activities, like the foam Seder plate kit ($4) pictured here, includes pieces for all of the items on the Seder plate, in addition to glue and decorations. There are also a number of plague-related finger puppets and masks that should keep your kids entertained until you reach the four questions portion of the Seder.

Wonder Woman: Julia Roberts

LilSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:00:22 -0700

Since she first came on the scene as a teenage waitress in 1988's Mystic Pizza, Julia Roberts has charmed her way into the hearts of theater-goers. Now appearing in her first starring role in five years, the Duplicity star has chosen motherhood over Hollywood glamour. Splitting her time between homes in Taos, NM and New York City, the actress spends more time watching her three tots - twins Hazel Patricia and Phinnaeus Walter, 4, and Henry Daniel,1, - than acting. She recently posed for Allure reading a children's book and told the U.K.'s Telegraph:

"Of course my life has changed and I work less, but I was never really one to work too much. I never really did years of movie-after-movie-after-movie but when you've got three toddlers in the house you're performing all day long, anyway, with puppet shows and stories---I act around the clock."

While many Hollywood mamas talk the talk, Roberts truly appears to walk the mommy walk.

Source, Pacific Coast News and Source

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Lil Links: Marcia Cross Chats It Up With CBB!

LilSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:00:35 -0700

CBB chats with celebmama Marcia Cross - Celebrity Baby Blog
My straight sons - Cookie
Travis Barker around town with his tots - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Eco-friendly storage tip - CafeMom
Could your husband be hurting your health? - Health
The lazy mom's guide to cloth diapering - Alpha Mom
Bristol and Levi head to splitsville - ParentDish
Handknit safari finger puppets - Inhabitots

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