Scooby-Doo Campfire Scare!

Shape Ups - for Kids?

If you read yahoo news or tune into the Today Show, you may have heard, or read, about a small controversy over the new, Sketchers Shape Ups for kids. Yesterday, while scanning online, news articles, I came across post about this issue and later noticed a segment on the Today Show about the controversy as well. From what I gathered, some people were clearly appalled at the fact that these "calorie burning shoes" were being targeted to young kids. The new commercial for the shoes was also criticized for displaying a unhealthy message towards young girls.

Over the past couple years I've heard and read increasing news coverage, commercial and television promotions, and articles and journals on the epidemic of childhood obesity.
By simply surveying our day to day surroundings, the truth in this issue is clearly obvious. Kids aren't getting as much activity as they need; instead they are more likely to be found on Facebook or playing video games; our fast and upbeat lifestyles also forces many of us to put healthy eating aside and instead eat convenience foods that are not always the most healthy choice.

Clearly - the last thing any parent or person should do is to say to a child that they need to lose weight; this would obviously cause early insecurity and also begin an unhealthy thought process about how they should look and whether they fit a certain accepted "body image". Instead, I think kids should be encouraged to have more fun in activities that get them moving and allow them to be more active.

So - do Shape Ups really encourage healthier attitudes towards exercise and activity? Maybe, maybe not. I'm also unsure if Shape Ups are actually proven to provide health benefits. Either way, I certainly do not see any potential harm in these shoes; whether or not they actually do provide positivity towards exercise or not, I can say that I do not see these shoes causing any sociological harm to young girls; they will simply be another pair of tennis shoes with color and sparkles that your daughter likes to wear.

Here is the new commercial for Sketchers Shape Ups for Kids. What do you think?




Also, just released yesterday - A video segment from the Today Show.

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Would You Rather? (On-The-Go)

Would you rather? This game is guaranteed to provide hours of senseless humor and interesting conversation! I love playing this unpredictable game with my friends and family, each of us coming up with an even wackier question than the one before, and when I heard there was a Would You Rather board game, with stacks of pre-made questions, I decided to try it out. For this past Christmas I received the Would You Rather On-The-Go card game. This version is much smaller than the board game (hence-On-The-Go) and comes with a single stack of card questions.
So, the question is, why should you pay money for something like this when you can simply make up your own -free- questions? With many games, I would say it is worth it to purchase the actual game. For one, the game usually involves other aspects and twists to how the game is played; they also make it a lot easier not to run out of topics.For example, if you have ever played the card, game, Apples to Apples, you know the endless supply of topics that it provides.
But.
While I cannot speak for the full version of Would You Rather, since I have only played the On-The-Go version, I can say you'll be better off saving you're $ and using a little creativity. While playing this game with my two younger siblings I noticed the same questions were repeated over and over again, only in different wording; The same type of questions were also repeated. In some topics, we even found typos where words were missing!

So, if you and your family have at least a little bit of humor and a little bit of creativity (& we all do!) gather around and create your own version of Would You Rather! Chances are, you'll have more a lot laughs when the questions are personalized.

Monster High. High School just got scarier!

Welcome to Monster High!

To begin this post, I consider it would be beneficial to address a presumed reaction to the recent controversy surrounding these ghoulish stylistas. In several blogs and online articles, I have read very bold and negative resentments about these new characters; the comments I've read, have not only targeted the well known assumption that the bodies of these dolls, as well as those of Bratz and Barbie, are harmful to a young girls' idea of self image, but they also frown upon the ghostly theme that represents these teenage monsters.

Every parent and household is most certainly entitled to their own opinion and decisions about what is best for their family;  I was certainly brought up with restrictions to what I should watch or what should be in my toy box. With this said, I myself, find a countering angle to these negative comments. I loved Barbies and Bratz dolls growing up, I loved the colors and sparkles in the clothing, I loved the cool boots with laces and buttons, I loved the different hairstyles and makeup colors and I loved each characters' unique style. I don't remember ever wishing to look like my dolls, I simply had fun dressing them up and styling their hair. As for the spooky theme, I personally find that any family who enjoys the fun of dressing up on Halloween and partaking in the innocent enjoyment of spooky fun will find that this same "wholesome fun" is exactly what you will find in the world of the Monster High gang. There is nothing dark or over exaggerated; on the contrary, these characters appear just like normal teens, with the exception that some have scales and batty pets!

But, once again these dolls may not be for everyone, which is completely understandable. However I do wish to share a few details about the Monster High group and their not so usual academy of frights! Meet Frankie Stein, daughter of Frankenstein and only 15 days old, Lagoona Blue, daughter of the sea monster and owner of a pet piranha, Clawdeen Wolf, daughter of the Ware Wolf and a fabulous fashionista, Draculaura, daughter of Dracula and 1,599 days old, Cleo de Nile, daughter of the Mummy and the schools queen bee, Ghoulia Yelps, daughter of the Zombie and an academic enthusiast, Deuce Gorgon, the son of Medusa and a culinary chef in training, Holt Hyde, son of Mr and Mrs. Hyde who dons flaming hair (literally), and Clawd Wolf, son of the Ware Wolf, a sports fanatic and brother of Clawdeen Wolf. Together these confident kids make up the students of Monster High; they not only show that being frightened is completely normal, especially when your lab partner's hair occasionally requires a fire extinguisher, but they also prove that no matter how different you are, or what background you com from, we are all uniquely Fabulous!

You can check out the Monster High website for more details on the characters, games, downloads, and video episode as well.

http://www.monsterhigh.com/home?mh

Lalaloopsy!

  Lalaloopsy dolls! They're simply charming! So how could you resist bringing one home? Meet Crumbs Sugar Cookie, Spot Splatter splash, Mittens Fluff 'N' Stuff, Jewel Sparkle, Peanut Big Top, Pillow Feather Bed, Sunny Side Up, Tippy Tumblelina, Blossom Flower Spot, Berry Jars 'N' Jam, Bea Spells-A-lot, Dot Starlight and a recent addition, Patch Treasure Chest, who adds a male friend to this group of darlings. What is it that makes us (Perfectly savvy and dignified consumers) stop in the middle of the Target, toy aisle and gasp "AW! Those are too cute!"? The perfect-present-purchase, for little Sally's birthday next week, is likely to follow this first- impression-reaction. Is it the irresistible names? The fun, funky and colorful frills and polka dotted boots? The cute little personal companions? Or, is it the endless variety of theme, personality and individual style that creates the new world of the Lalaloopsy family? Whatever excuse you offer, in reply to your pocketbook's smug scolding, you can rest assured that any doll from this happy little bunch will be warmly welcomed by her receiver. My personal bias? I absolutely LOVE that each of the characters are unique and different. They have blond hair, they have brown hair, they have pink and blue hair, they wear stripes, they wear polka dots, they wear pajamas and mismatched colors! I think that growing up is a great time to be creative and be yourself; it's a time that you get to invent your own style, even when that includes walking through school hallways in mismatched stockings because you love the way the purple, blue, pink, and green all go together JUST perfectly!

These lovable dolls can be spotted at Target, ToysRus, Walmart, online, and basically any other local toy carrier.

Be sure to check out the Lalaloopsy website for more info, games, downloads, and details about each character's birthday, hobbies, and interests.

http://www.lalaloopsy.com/