Birthday Gift Ideas

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I find that some parts of the year there is a birthday party every weekend. So I have been looking at a variety of options for birthday gifts. Here are some I have found.

Stomp Rocket (8+)

• Kid-powered: You stomp on the launch pad to send these Ultra Stomp Rockets up to 20 stories high -- that's 200 feet in the air!
• Winner of the Dr. Toy Award, iParenting Media's Hot Toy Award, Preferred Choice Award, and iParenting Media's Excellent Product Award
• Includes a Stomp Launch Pad and 4 foam-tipped Ultra Stomp Rockets
• No batteries required
• Super easy, fast assembly
• Ages 8 and Up

Lego Vehicle Transporter

• Features a tilting cab that reveals a detailed engine, folding trailer ramp for vehicle access, large exhaust stacks, warning beacons roof spotlights
• 3-in-1 model: rebuilds into a tow truck towing a yellow car, or a mobile crane
• Vehicle Transporter measures over 2" (6cm) high, 9" (25cm) long and 1" (5cm) wide
• Tow truck measures over 2" (6cm) high, 6" (16cm) long and 2" (7cm) wide
• Mobile crane measures over 1" (5cm) high, 7" (18cm) long and 2" (6cm) wide

Soda Can Robot (8+)

• The 4M Soda Can Robug teaches the value of recycling by repurposing a used can into a fun and functional robot.
• No special tools or knowledge required; the kit contains detailed instructions and all the necessary parts. Just add a used soda pop can and let the fun begin.
• Perfect for young science enthusiasts, especially those with an interest in robotics and green science.
• Requires two AAA batteries (not included).
• Recommended for ages 8 years and up.
• Challenge your child's imagination with 4M toys and kits.
• 4M educational toys cover a wide range of educational subjects and include science kits, arts and crafts kits, robotics kits, and more.
• 4M offers a wide range of toys and kits to let you build a clock, crochet a placemat, or turn your room into a planetarium--all in the name of making learning fun.

Snapcircuits (7+)

• Electrical parts provide students grades 2 and up (age 7+) with hands-on experience designing and building models of working electrical circuits
• Snap-together parts require no tools and ensure correct connections
• Includes 30 parts, and instructions for over 100 projects, including working models of a photo sensor, a flashing light, and an adjustable-volume siren
• Requires 2 AA batteries (sold separately)
• Awards: The National Parenting Center-Seal of Approval, Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products, Dr Toy Best Educational Products
• Valuable component to a rounded STEM curriculum
• Build working models of a photo sensor, a flashing light, and an adjustable-volume siren. More than 100 exciting projects in all with included 30+ snap together parts

• Electrical components provide students ages 8+ with hands-on experience designing and building models of working electrical circuits
• Clear and concise illustrated manual included and available online

Day 3: Organizing My Closet

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I am still unpacking from our Passover Vacation away. For the most part we got almost everything unpacked and in the laundry room rather quickly. But I left my suitcase until the end to try to keep the clutter to the mess. While we were traveling we did a side trip to the outlets in Maryland and I was able to find a bunch of really great deals at the outlets for pieces to just expand my options with outfits. I work at a more corporate building and when I started working I was pregnant, so this is the first time I am not pregnant or breast feeding, so my wardrobe was definitely in a need of a little updating.

Most of the time I keep my closet separated into sections. My dresses and long skirts in one area, my suits in another, my skirts in another, my summer weight shirts in another, my sweaters in another, and then all my jackets and cardigans. Over the last month as I was hoping for warmer weather, I started keeping everything I had worn in one section of my closet. I was hoping to try not to wear anything from that side of the closet until I had tried to use more of my wardrobe. The other reason was so I could figure out what was just sitting in my closet and no longer being worn.

Tonight as I was unpacking I decided it was a perfect time to go through the closet. I went through all of the items I hadn't worn and asked myself three questions:
1. Why didn't I wear it? (was it too cold, too warm, or not appropriate for work)
2. Would I wear this item in a different situation? (Like a formal affair, etc.)
3. Do I have something to match it?

I made pies of clothing to go away into my drawers that are no longer filled with Maternity/Nursing clothing. And then piles to try to sell or donate.

There are a ton of places to sell clothing to, but the issue with most of them is that they only want items from the last year or so to try to sell. I can understand they want to stay with the trends and styles.

We have a lot of great resources in our Jewish community to donate clothing. This is usually my first choice if I have the time. We even have a Jewish Freebay group on Facebook that I can post everything I have and give it to other people in the community.

There are also so many resources of places that will come and pick up. In other communities we have lived in that were not so fortunate to have a Jewish Freebay, we have donated to Habitat for Humanity's ReStore, Big Brothers & Big Sisters, NCJW, etc.

I wear a lot of different scarfs in my hair, so I found this great hanger and they take up a lot less room.

Home Basics 2-Piece Velvet Scarf Hanger, Purple Flowers - $5.99

I wear a tank top under a lot of my clothing, so I found these great to hold tank tops and camisoles. It works much better than trying to get them to stay on regular hangers or being lost in a drawer.

Women's sport Tank Top, Cami, Bra, Strappy Dress, Bathing Suit, Closet Organizer Hanger, Set of 2 Black - $9.99

For my husband, we bought these in the fall and they have been great.

Twirl-a-Tie Tie Rack/Organizer - $3.54


We inherited them from our first house because the previous owner made one of the bedrooms into a walk-closet and so there were lots of storage items and organizational items that were left over. My favorite thing were these crystal clear shoe box size stackable drawers. I think I have seen them at the Container Store before.

Do you need some inspiration for closet organization? 
I've been reading a lot of blogs lately about pairing down wardrobes, but one of the ones I find most intriguing is Project 333. I'm not sure I can pair down to only 33 items. Could you?

Passover Shtick

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Purim has come and gone and I often try to think about Passover. We are lucky to spend the holiday and sederim with family so I close up the house for the week and we head over to my in-laws. One of my joys and challenges is looking for fun stuff to add to the Passover table. I should note, we did this even before there were children. We've had shower caps for animals, jumping frogs, wind up frogs, ping pong balls, and more.

Here are some fun items I have found:

Passover Bingo

Free Passover Bingo Cards (Art by Dina)

Passover Puppets

Passover 10 Plagues Puppet Kit

Plague Masks

Passover Plague Masks, 10ct

Passover Seder Plate Mold

Cybrtrayd R300 Seder Plate Chocolate Candy Mold 

Blood:

Fake Blood Novelty Toy

Frogs:

Stretchable Flying Frogs (1 dz)

Cybrtrayd A126 Frog Chocolate Candy Mold

Lice

Creepy Ants Halloween Prop

Wild Beasts

Mini Wild Animals

Cattle

Fun Shower Cap. Choose - Shark, Pig, Cow, Frog, Duck, Bull. (Cow)

Boils

Avery Permanent Color Coding Labels, 0.25 Inches, Round, Pack of 450 (5790)

Hail

Practice Ping Pong Balls - Table Tennis Balls

Locust/Insects

Darice 1029-03 16-Piece Plastic Insects, 2-Inch

Glow In The Dark Critter Assortment - 144 per unit

Darkness

Animal Print Sunglasses Assortment (1 dz) (colors may vary)

Death of the First Born

Bendable Skeletons (1 Dozen= 12 Pcs.)

Edible Plagues

Check out edible Plague treats at Cook Kosher.

Needlepoint Tallit Bag

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I learned how to do regular needle point stitches when I was in Middle school. When I met my husband, his mother had made him a beautiful tallis bag with his name on it that had many different types of stitches. I hadn't really realized how many different kinds of stitches existed.

My mother had done some beautiful needlepoint of teddy bears when I was little, but the piece had spent most of my childhood in broken frame tucked away in a closet. It wasn't until our first child was born that my mother had it her bears redone that I really noticed and how beautiful a basic design could be made from all the different types of stitches and designs.

Here is a kit I found on Amazon for a Tallit.

Tallit 4 Needlepoint Kit

101 Needlepoint Stitches and How to Use Them: Fully Illustrated with Photographs and Diagrams (Dover Embroidery, Needlepoint)

Here's a video from Needlepoint for Fun that might help you get started:

Classic Cherry 5 Shelf Bookcase for $86.96

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Sauder Heritage Hill Open Bookcase, Classic Cherry

• Three adjustable shelves and enclosed back with cord access.
• Classic Cherry finish.
• Classic Cherry

$86.96