Flashback Friday

Meet Mr. Caterpillar! He's an old friend at our house. When Little {L} was a baby, he didn't play with toys-pretty much ever! There were many days that I begged an pleaded for him to "just play-please". He was way more interested in walking, running, climbing and mischief. The ONE toy that he actually showed interest in was this cute, little caterpillar pull toy. He dragged this thing through the entire house over & over again, peeking over his shoulder and giggling as he saw it following him.

I've been collecting the "baby" toys lately since we'll soon have another one to play with the younger toys. Little {L} found this in the pile and quickly retrieved it, reminding me it was {L}'s, NOT baby's! It still holds the same giggle power. I can't wait to see if Baby Unicorn loves this toy also...well honestly I'm just hoping for another child who plays with toys!

Feature Friday!

Some of my favorite things in our home are from cool shops I've found on Etsy. Here's a few of our new toy additions:

Starbright Baby makes these fun teething giraffes. Colorful, soft and really fun. He's a big hit at our house with all the kids. All though I often hear, "Make the giraffe sound, mama!" What sound do they actually make?

Need a unique handmade baby gift? check out Starbright Baby.
{L} got this cool wooden, helicopter below for his birthday. Fun, looks cute hanging out on the shelf and made from a natural material. What more could you want? Find one for your special someone at Imagination Kids.

Also from Imagination Kids is this amazing bunny set. The Easter Bunny left one at our house for the kids. This set gets played with EVERY day here. Can it get any cuter than these little rabbits? No! Enjoy your weekend!! Hope to see some of you at Eco-Chic. Let's hope the rain holds off and we are still able to be outside in the fresh air! Keep your fingers crossedf or me.

[ Columbus Business First Newspaper ]

I was recently interviewed about the effects the CPSIA will have on Kunklebaby. You can view the article online here:

Makers of toys, clothes fear 3rd party inspections will ruin business

{ CPSIA }

It concerns the CPSIA or the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. To show how real this is, Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying close attention to it.
But how will these new laws affect you? Here are a few examples:
To the Parents of Young Students:Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren’t originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.
To the Avid Reader:Due to the new law, children’s books will be pulled from library and school shelves. There is no exemption for them. Here is an article from the American Library Association.
To the Lover of All Things Handmade:Due to the new law, that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it’s passed testing. But then it won’t even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.
To the Environmentalist:Due to the new law, we’re due to find items in non-compliance dumped into already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the big box stores as well. They can’t sell it and they can’t even give them away. If they are caught, it is a violation.
To the Second-Hand Shopper:Due to the new law, you will now need to spend the money for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children’s items all together to avoid future lawsuits.
To the Entrepreneur:Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue making and/or selling them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. In a time when unemployment is reaching record highs, this doesn’t bode well for the economy.
To the Antique Toy Collector:Due to the new law, you’d better start buying now because it’s all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren’t certified as safe.” Read about this in an article from The Wall Street Journal.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
And for those of you prepared for an intellectual workout, The CPSIA
Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react. You can find out how to contact your representative here and your senator here.

Thank you to chichiboulie. Article above is a direct quote from her blog.