Gearhead Mom

Friday, April 29, 2011

Chugga Chugga Chugga Chuggington

Posted by Missy W. @ 12:11 AM

Do you have a Chuggington freak in your house like I do? Baby G doesn’t go anywhere without his Old Puffer Pete engine.

The show is cute. If you don’t know what it’s about - here’s my reader’s digest: bunch o’ little chuggers learning the Chuggington way of life on the rails. Merriment and lessons abound. Lil chuggers screw up, rise from the ashes and earn some badges via Badge Quest along the way. My kids (almost 6 and almost 3) LOVE IT. And don’t tell anyone, but I do, too. The trains aren’t too whiny, the lessons learned are not too heavy handed and it’s well animated. My husband points out that it’s incredibly fast paced with a lot of quick cuts. I point out that it has riveting plot lines.

But what’s the best part? The swag.

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Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Kukunest Bedding On Sale

Posted by Missy W. @ 01:05 AM

Ooh! Kukunest is having a sale. We’ve had these comforters and sheets for two years and they still look brand new! And I wash them in hot every week! LOVE.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Phil & Teds Stroller Recall

Posted by Missy W. @ 01:46 AM

Phil & Teds have begun “to recall to repair and upgrade the discontinued sport v2 and classic v1 strollers, manufactured between March 2008 and June 2010…The voluntary recall to repair is to alert sport v2 and classic v1 owners of the possible risk of an amputation and laceration injury stemming from an adult user catching a finger in the hinge while folding or unfolding one of these strollers.”

You can find out more information here on their site.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Coupon Cabin

Posted by Missy W. @ 02:29 AM

My sister-in-law is a big fan of Coupon Cabin. I myself had never heard of them, but apparently they work directly with their merchant partners to create exclusive online coupon codes. They also search tens of thousands of consumer emails, online forums, blogs, merchant sites each week and even the Sunday newspaper to create a true one-stop-shop for savings.

Neat! Thanks for the tip, J!

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Kitchen Upgrade

Posted by Jenny M. @ 11:54 PM

Since we posted this review of the Kidcraft Retro Blue Kitchen almost two years ago, we’ve learned from readers that it’s hard to find, if not impossible.  Meanwhile, two years later, our little compact cool-looking galley continues to be a hub of play, particularly when the toddlers come over.  Play kitchens are havens for two-year-olds.  I am going to go out on a limb and say, if you have a two-year-old, get him or her a kitchen!  Or get your spouse one (that’s a hint, Honey…).  Okay, so the toddler’s kitchen is cheaper, and he isn’t likely to complain about counter space or the color of the cabinets. 
Here’s the good news:  the Retro Blue Kitchen is BAAAAAAAAAAAACK!  In red!  Personalized, if you wish! 
And with some important updates. 
1.  Check out that faux refrigerator-door water dispenser! 
2.  It’s CHEAPER ($110 on Amazon) than the one we previously reviewed, and for an extra $10, you can personalize it (note to Honey:  if you buy me a new kitchen, you can skip the personalization). 

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Friday, December 03, 2010

Sticky Stained Glass

Posted by Jenny M. @ 12:25 AM

My seven-year-old found this project in a local family fun magazine and pitched it to me:  Jolly Rancher Stained Glass Ornaments.  Why not?  I responded.  Why not is because this little project stressed me out.  But I still suggest you try it, because the wow factor is pretty worth it.
Here’s what you need:
A bag or two of Jolly Ranchers
Metal cookie cutters
A cookie sheet, lined with foil and lightly sprayed with nonstick spray
Optional:  sprinkles
A toothpick, or two or three
An oven, set to 325 degrees.
First, my daughters sorted the Jolly Ranchers into colors. 

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Wednesday, December 01, 2010

GHM Top Ten: Heidi’s Gift Ideas for Your Ten Year Old Girl

Posted by Heidi K. @ 11:17 PM

We bit the bullet this year and Santa’s bringing a Wii for the kids (and Wii fit for mama), but here are some individual gift ideas that I’m kicking around for the ten year old girl in my life.

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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Airport Pickup Tip

Posted by Missy W. @ 11:05 AM

I spent an hour the other night just waiting to pick up a family member. As I made a circle by baggage claim, I saw a car with the sunroof open (brrr) waving a little pennant flag on a staff (kinda like this but theirs looked homemade), emblazoned with the name of the people they were picking up. Brilliant! What a great way to pick your car out of the crowd.

Now why didn’t I think of that!?

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Recovering Your Seat - Toddler Style

Posted by Missy W. @ 07:08 AM

[Ed. Note: Thanks to GHM contributor Shauna for writing up this review!]

How did Gearhead Mom know that my sad, stained dining room chairs were making me absolutely bonkers?  Well, somehow she did and was kind enough to let me review the SmartSeat Chair Protectors.  My husband brought a beautiful dining room table with upholstered chairs to our marriage.  These seemed so lovely until my first child started eating solids.  And then they were not.  They were a mess.  Somehow everything from her booster seat got onto the upholstery and it got even worse once she stopped using the booster and half of what was meant for her mouth went instead onto the chair.  Now every chair is grim looking and I always feel a little chagrined to ask anyone outside of our immediate family to sit in them.

So I needed a solution that did not involve me buying new dining room chairs.  And so the SmartSeat covers to the rescue.  These were, no surprise, invented by a mom who must have had messy little ones just like I do. (Aren’t mom’s just the most clever and industrious people that you’ve ever come across?  Yay, Moms!)  They come in khaki and navy and will fit nearly any upholstered dining chair.  They attach to the seat using velcro straps that after one false start were on my chair and looking snappy.  The fit is very good, although not perfect, at least not on my chair, but is a huge improvement over how it had looked.  And the cover is machine washable so that if it ever starts looking sloppy, which it hasn’t yet, I can throw it in the wash and it will be back to new in no time.

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Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Holiday Gift Idea: Mommy and Me Aprons

Posted by Missy W. @ 10:10 PM

Oh my stars, these Mommy and Me aprons by Tewtie are cute! My girl would love to match with me in the kitchen. Go Etsy crafters, go! Daddy and boy items coming soon.