Kids love the story of Disney Cars. Lightning McQueen, a rookie race car driver eager to succeed, discovers that life is more about the journey (instead of the finish line). Encourage your child’s sense of imagination by designing his very own Disney Cars themed bedroom. With a backsplash of new paint, a few accessories and furniture revamping, his bedroom will surely become his favorite hang out.

Start with the Walls

Nothing makes characters come to life like a fresh new backdrop. Choose paint colors that coordinate with the Disney Cars color palette (such as ice blue or a mild tint of green). Choosing light colors will make it easier as your child grows (and his bedroom changes). These colors will also accentuate accessories that you choose for the room. Consider painting base boards a bright white to make wall colors stand out.

Furniture

If purchasing new furniture is a budget breaker, consider painting your existing furniture fun colors that tie into the Cars theme. Keep the room from becoming too busy by choosing a single color for headboards, footboards and dressers. Painting a bed red gives it a “car like” feeling. Purchase solid white knobs for dresser drawers, which contrasts nicely against a fresh coat of paint.

Consider purchasing an inexpensive toy box and applying a new coat of paint. Your child can place fun Cars Foam Decorations on the toy chest to liven it up. Purchase a Cars themed comforter, which can be found at most retailers. Another comforter option is a solid bedspread that matches the Cars color palette.

Accessories

There are plenty of fun accessories that can bring life to your little one’s room. Check out the Cars Victory Lane Blue Grey Wall Boarder. This border is super easy to apply and won’t leave damage on walls (this is especially convenient if you rent).

If you aren’t a wall board fan, consider using Disney Cars Foam Wall Decorations. These accessories contain nine mini soft foam shapes you can place all over the room. If you decide to redecorate later on, the shapes can easily be removed without causing damage.

Finish off your child’s room with a Disney Cars Smart Tiles Light Switch Cover and a Decorative Wall Hook to hang your little auto racer’s favorite items (so they don’t get lost).

Creating a Disney Cars themed room will liven your child’s imagination. He can fall asleep and wake up with his favorite characters. Getting your child involved in the decorating process will help build the excitement.

Max and Ruby, the adventurous rabbits preschoolers adore, didn’t start out on the big screen. The pair originated in children’s books written by Rosemary Wells. However, the story captured the attention of television networks and debuted in 2001 with a pilot episode. Preschoolers loved the story of Max, a rambunctious 3-year rabbit, and his older sister Ruby, a 7-year old bunny. The characters won a permanent spot on NickJr, and filmed their fourth season in 2009.

During the story, older sister Ruby typically takes on a new activity, and she involves younger brother Max (whether he likes it or not). The show focuses on building relationships between siblings.

Max and Ruby Toys

Plush toys are a great way to encourage dramatic play. Check out the Max plush doll, which is fun for playtime (and soft and cuddly for nighttime). Do you have a preschooler who loves big sister Ruby (perhaps she’s a big sister herself?). Check out the Ruby doll. Preschoolers can take their Max Ruby characters on a fun imaginary adventure.

Max & Ruby Dolls

Another fun way to encourage learning through play is Max and Ruby Puzzles. The Max and Ruby 24 piece puzzle helps preschoolers create fun images such as Max and Ruby play soccer, exploring the park or playing with a train set. These fun puzzles develop problem solving and tactile skills.

Max and Ruby Books

Is your preschooler learning her shapes and colors? Make it fun with the Max and Ruby Shapes Sizes and Colors activity book. This activity book makes learning fun with pages and pages of Max and Ruby activities.

Max and Ruby Books

Max Ruby DVDs

Does your toddler love to go to the fair? Take her on a fair adventure with the Max and Ruby Candy Apple DVD. This DVD includes six different episodes about going to the fair, finding the perfect pumpkin and having a puppet show. Encourage dramatic play by setting up a puppet show (just like Max and Ruby) or checking out local fairs in your area.

Max and Ruby DVDs

Refresh your seasonal DVD collection for next year with a couple Max and Ruby adventures. Check out Max and Ruby’s Christmas Tree or Max’s Christmas. These DVDs take preschoolers on fun holiday adventures decorating for the holidays and staying up late to catch a glimpse of Santa.

Watch Favorite Episodes Online

Did your preschooler miss his favorite episode of Max and Ruby? Check out Max and Ruby’s adventures on YouTube, such as Max’s Dragon Shirt Adventure. Then, after the show, break out your child’s plush dolls and encourage them to have an adventure of their own.

Many parents wonder what it is about 4-year old Caillou that fascinates preschool age children. Preschool children first fell in love with Caillou through reading Christine L’Heureux’s books about the little boy’s adventures.

Caillou’s stories captured the attention of television networks in 1998. The story was picked up by the “Teletoon Channel” that year. Most recently, Caillou attracted the attention of PBS, who picked up the series in 2000. Caillou has received numerous awards, including the New York Festivals Bronze World Metal.

In response to children’s overwhelming interest in Caillou PBS kids, educational toys and games were developed as a fun way to encourage preschoolers to learn.

What are the Best Caillou Toys?

Development experts agree that imaginary play is great for preschoolers. Choose Caillou toys that foster a child’s sense of imagination. Does your child love ice skating or sports? Check out Caillou plush dolls. The hockey doll allows children to remove Calliou’s soft jersey, gloves, socks, hockey stick and helmet for a fun game of “make believe.”

Caillou Doll

Games are also a great way to enjoy some of Caillou’s wild adventures in your own living room. Caillou’s discovery game includes Caillou, Rosie, Clementine and Gilbert, as they embark on new adventures. As a plus for parents, kids get hands on skills learning how to match colors and count.

Caillou Tubes and Tunnels

When you arrive at the playground, is your child the first to race to the equipment? Check out Caillou’s Tubes and Tunnels game. With a roll of the dice, your child can move through tubes and tunnels on an imagery playground board. And, of courses there’s some educational value as well. Counting skills and patience will be learned as your child plays with his playmates.

Does your child love a good puzzle? Let your child assemble puzzle pieces into a picture of his favorite Caillou friends. Puzzles are great for problem solving and fine motor skills.

Catch Episodes Online

If your preschooler freaks out because he missed the latest Caillou episode, don’t worry. Even if you don’t have on demand cable programming, there’s Caillou youtube.

Teach your child about apple picking with the youtube episode Caillou Goes Apple Picking.

If your child loves to help you cook, check out Caillou the Chef. In this episode, Caillou’s mother teaches him that everybody likes a different type of Pizza. After your child is done watching the episode, invite him to make his own Pizza (just like Caillou and his friends).

When you are a new parent, or even a seasoned parent for that matter, you are constantly on the lookout for ways that your child can hurt themselves.  You watch the stairs and block them off with baby gates, you make sure cords are out of reach and that baby can’t grab any hot liquids.  You are constantly on the watch and there is a very good reason why you are.

That vigilance for safety is also seen in the toys that a parent will buy for their baby and everyone at Kimmy’s Shop is just as focused on safety as the parents who shop here.  We are worried about the overall safety of children and make sure that we offer parents the support they need to keep their little bundles safe.

And that brings us to today’s post, safety with baby seats and exersaucers, which are a very popular toy that you can purchase to keep your baby entertained for a few minutes of each day.  While they can be a lot of enjoyment, especially seats like the Fisher-Price Song and Story Learning Chair, there are a few safety concerns that you should be aware of before you purchase.

Tip Number One:

Make sure the toy has a firm base.  One of the most common accidents with exersaucers and baby chairs is that they tip over.  When they do tip over, baby goes for a tumble and this can lead to serious injuries so it is very important that no matter what type of seat you are buying.

Tip Number Two:

Limit the amount of time your baby is in the toy.  This is a very important tip since studies have shown that the prolonged use of exersaucers can cause delays in development.  By keeping the time short, you can make sure that your baby gets just enough time in the exersaucer without hurting their development in any way.  For even more security in your baby’s development, you can purchase a Three Stages Super Seat, so baby has all the benefits of an exersaucer without a lot of the negatives.

Tip Number Three:

Keep seats on the floor.  While it may be tempting to place baby in the Three Stages Super Seat and then sit them up on a table beside you, it is much better to keep baby on the floor.  Your baby’s movements can send the seat sliding around, which can result in a serious fall.  In addition, keep the seat away from stairs or counters since seats offer your child extra height for reaching.

Tip Number Four:

Check for recalls.  The last tip that I am going to mention with exersaucers is to make sure that you really watch for recalls.  Being aware of the recalls can make a lot of difference and you will be ready to either return your toy to the manufacturer or order the safety product that will fix any problems. So whether you are purchasing the Three Stages Super Seat or the Fisher-Price Song and Story Learning Chair, keep an eye on those recall lists.

Over the last few years, there has been a huge push for decluttering and, in fact, there have been many articles on it and on the benefits to your health, your budget and your peace of mind that decluttering can bring.

Because of this push, more and more of us have made the leap to declutter if not all, at least most of our house.  We have had garage sales, given stuff to good will and found proper places for everything else.  We have worked hard to get everything done and we are usually very happy with the outcome.

That is, until we walk into our children’s bedrooms. At that point, we realized that all that energy spent decluttering was lost because the biggest clutter was safely tucked behind closed doors.  Toys are strewn everywhere, there is very little space to put anything new and nothing seems to have a proper place. Even clothes that could easily go into a Wonder Pets – Storage Hamper have missed their destination and are now on the floor instead of where they should be.

Thankfully, there is a way to make order in all this chaos and it can be done within a day or, if it is really bad, over a weekend.  All you need to do is follow these tips.

Tip Number One:  Assign a number

Okay, I have probably lost you here but before you start putting things away, you will need to assign a number to everything.  This should be the following:

One:  The Must Haves. These are all the toys that will need to go somewhere, like in a Disney Princess Horizontal Storage Bin.

Two: The Unsures.  These are things that your child is on the fence about.  Does she want to pack them up, give them away or keep them out to display.

Three: The Giveaways.  These are all the toys and clothes that your child has outgrown and you won’t be handing down to your other children.

Four: The throwaways.  As much as your child will protest, there are just some things that can’t be salvaged.  Throw them away and don’t look back.

Five: The Storeables.  Any clothes or toys that can be packed up and brought out later.  This can be for younger children or for any seasonal toys you have.

Tip Number Two: Have a variety of storage

When you have all the toys sorted, it is time to start storing everything you are keeping.  There will be a number of items that you can place on shelves or on the top of dressers as a decoration but most things you will want in a toy box.

While I am not a huge fan of toy boxes, I do find bins and hampers to be the ideal. These can be tucked onto shelves or placed into closets and you can really add a bit of a theme to your storage bins.

Also, you can use them to keep toys separated.  For instance, a Disney Princess Horizontal Storage Bin can be a perfect place for a girl’s dolls and all the accessories that go with them, while a Disney Pixar Cars Storage Bin can be the perfect storage bin for all of the car tracks that your son has.

Tip Number Three: Be creative

The last tip that I am going to mention about decluttering is be creative.  Many times we create clutter by using conventional shelving and storage options, which take up much more room than we really need.

To cut down on the bulk, use hanging bins, such as the Disney Tinker Bell Hanging Mesh Storage.  This can be an excellent way to get those smaller items up and out of the way or you can use one to store an assortment of art materials that your child uses.

Remember, in the end, the best option is to have a space for everything while making the decluttered space kid friendly.

If you remember a few days ago, I posted an article on the top 5 toys that all boys want.  There were some good old ones, a couple new and a few that have endured the years with much more grace than one might have expected.

Today, I would like to look at the top five girl toys that usually find their way onto a little girl’s wish list with very little difficulty.  As with the boys list, there are some new toys that have been propelled into the spotlight but there are also some oldies that have endured the test of time and are still popular today.

So let’s get down to business and start looking at a shopping list that will delight any little girl.

NUMBER FIVE!

Dora the Explorer

Dora the Explorer has been a big hit for a decade and is still going strong with many little girls around the globe.  She is polite, helpful and always greats the day with a big smile and a loud, “Hola!”  She has been popular with boys and girls but the latter has moved on to Diego and Dora has still remained a favorite with little girls that have made her number five on our list.

And what is not to like about Dora.  Originally found in a television show and later in Story Reader Video + with BONUS Dora the Explorer Cartridge, she can now be found in just about anything from raincoats, such as the Dora the Explorer Rain Poncho, to puzzles, like the Dora the Explorer 24 Piece Puzzle – Dora and Boots, to toy sets like the Dora The Explorer Electronic Adventure Phone Set.  She is a character that delights many kids and with a new makeover expected this upcoming fall, she is about to make a whole new splash with an older audience that loved her when they were toddlers.

NUMBER FOUR!

Disney Princess

When I first experienced the trend that is Disney Princess, I was a little on the fence with all the Disney Princess Mini Backpack and Flip Flop Set – Size 6½, Disney Princess Umbrella and the Disney Princess Before Once Upon a Time – Belle Doll. It just seemed like too much pink and while I enjoy the occasional splash, I was worried about having too much.

Of course, my fears weren’t necessary and I realized that Disney had found a way to make every little girl feel like one of the gang; a princess that will shimmer in her Disney Princess Backpack with Purse and Pencil Case as she closed her very own Disney Princess, Sleeping Beauty Flip Phone.

After realizing that, I began to see all the cute accessories and toys that you could find for Disney Princess and the delight of my students as they would show me their latest Disney Princess Shimmer Princess Cinderella Doll or Disney Princess costume.  It is for all that delight that Disney Princess is ranked fourth on our top 5 toys that all girls want toy list.

NUMBER THREE!

Bratz

A fairly new kid on the block, the Bratz dolls and accessories have made a surprisingly big splash in the world of toys for girls.  Most girls have seen one and are desperate to own a specific one such as Bratz Babyz Magic Hair – Cloe.  They even have their own movie and that has gained them a bit more appeal and has made them our third choice on our top 5 list.

NUMBER TWO!

Dolls

Well, it would seem that both lists will have something generic on it and for girls, that generic item is dolls.  These little treasures have been just that, a treasure, for girls for decades, if not centuries and you can pretty well find a doll for any age possible.

I personally purchased a baby for my niece before she had even reached the age of one and she cared it around everywhere with her. While that doll was pretty basic, you can find a doll for any little girl and they can do everything from simply look cute, like the Anne Geddes Baby Flower Plush Doll, to wiggle and interact, like Baby Alive Wets ‘N Wiggles Doll.

In addition to all the dolls, you can add a number of accessories to care for your doll, which boosts the games that you can play with a doll, making them number two on our list.

NUMBER ONE!

Barbie

The number one toy that every little girl is going to ask for at one time or another is Barbie. She has been around for 5 decades and for the looks of things, she isn’t going to be going too far.

Over the years there has been a few changes for Barbie and we have seen her become everything from Barbie as The Island Princess Doll to a mermaid and girls still take the time to purchase her, dress her up and shower her with all the must have accessories.

In fact, there are so many accessories for Barbie, like the Barbie Repunzel’s Wedding Horse that half the fun of owning a Barbie is in owning one of the many things that she can use or ride herself.  She has even come out of the toy aisle and had successful movies and even fashion accessories or fashion inspired toys like the Barbie I-Design Slide 2 Style with 35 Fashion Cards and 2 BONUS Fashion Cards Pack.  There is little doubt that Barbie will be here for another fifty years and will continue to be a hot item for little girl’s wish lists.

And that is our top 5 toys for girls but I am sure that for every child, there is a unique list of top fives.

Thinking of redecorating your little princess’ room? Why not give her some royal company? The Disney Princesses have mad a majestic comeback in recent years, and the crowned heads can offer an imperial touch to any girl’s room.

For those of you who don’t know (have you been living with the ogres?) the Disney princesses consist of Cinderella, Snow White ad Belle, Jasmine and Sleeping Beauty. With a wide line of furniture, bedding and accessories, decorating with these noble ladies will be magical, and give any girl a bedroom that is enchanting.

For a truly regal appearance, begin with the walls. There’s nothing plain about princesses, especially those from Disney, and no need to set them against a plain backdrop. Try alternating a paint roller length of matte paint with a roller length of satin in the same color. The walls remain monochromatic, but the effect of vertical, satin/matte stripes is stunning, and will transition easily as your child grows and her bedroom changes. Any color from the princesses’ palette will be striking in this alternating finish. By using the colors (or a lighter shade) of the princesses’ dresses, you ensure a perfect match. Because hot pink is the dominant color in most of the furniture and bedding, use a lighter shade of pink, if this is the chosen wall color. For girls who want a livelier look, choose three represented colors, painting individual walls a solid tint. Tie the bold look together by leaving one wall white and adding crowns and hearts to it, using the Disney princess palette. Commercial wallpaper and borders are, of course, readily available in almost any style imaginable. You can even make your own (more cost effectively) by purchasing paper table clothes at a party store, trimming the border from them and using decoupage medium to adhere them to the wall. (Leftovers can adorn light switch covers and plain picture frames, or anything else you can decoupage.)

For kings or queens who don’t own their palace (that’d be you dads and moms who rent), or who aren’t sure their princess will stick with one theme for a long period of time, there are alternatives.

Wall stickers are a relatively new item on the decorating scene. These cool little decorations can be moved without damage, so removing them or taking them with you in a move is possible. Using a panel of princess fabric as “wallpaper” is another option. Simply use heavy starch to attach the fabric to the wall; it will come down easily and the starch will wash away with soap and water. Painting murals on muslin or painters’ canvas also gives you an easily-removable option that provides an imperial bang. Your hand-painted mural can be hung as a tapestry, or adhered to the wall with fabric starch. A floor mat can be created in much the same way, using outdoor latex paint and painters’ canvas, finished with a polyurethane glaze. These removable items make a princess room a financially-feasible possibility for those who rent their homes, or for girls who are likely to change their theme in just a couple of years.

Furniture is next. Beds, vanities, headboards and storage benches are all available for your girl’s bedroom. Because most of the furniture is less expensive, it is primarily pressboard or plastic, with the toy box selections being fabric. For higher end furniture, there are bonuses; for example, the wooden toddler bed transitions from toddler to twin size. Available at stores nationwide or online, creating just the right look for your daughter’s castle is simple. Prices are reasonable, ranging from the low $30’s into the mid-$100’s for the less expensive line, and into the $500’s for items such as the Disney Princess Twin Carriage Bed. As always, there are options for do-it-yourselfers. Dressers are harder to find. A coat of paint and faux gold-leaf, stencils and a new set of drawer pulls (cut “crystal” acrylic, or perhaps wooden pulls decoupaged with princess stickers) will solve the dresser dilemma. Making your own crown headboard and princess shelves is as easy as a jigsaw, a piece of plywood, paints and a little imagination (Disney inspired, of course).

Accessories are available in most popular retail stores. From comforters, lamps and curtains to picture frames, bookends, trash cans and clothes hampers, these princesses are the hottest thing going. Comforters may feature the princesses as a group or individually, and in the “traditional” pink, green or purple backgrounds. Most individual accessories are priced under $50, while accessory sets range into the low $100’s.

Bedrooms are a statement of identity and a place of privacy or sharing, depending on the moment and mood of your princess. There’s no reason, with the wide variety of Disney Princess bedroom items available, that it cannot also be enchanting.

Every year around September or October, thousands of newspapers, radio shows and television programs will start listing out all the items that are a must have for Christmas.  It doesn’t matter that Christmas is still several months away or that most parents aren’t even planning for that event, all that matters is that everyone is up to date on the latest and greatest toys.

While I am not a big fan of the push, I am usually a huge fan of the new toys that are coming out and every year I watch the list and one thing that I have noticed is that there always seems to be similar toys on the list and there are tons of classics that are always a must have toy for every child.

Today I am going to look at the must have toys for boys and over the next few weeks, I will also have a must have list for girls.

NUMBER FIVE!

Thomas the Tank Engine

When I first arrived on the child toy circuit about ten years ago, I found much to my delight, a little toy train that was capturing the hearts of children and parents alike. There wasn’t much that you could dislike about Thomas the Tank engine with his large box sets of wooden tracks, his colorful friends like Salty or his cheerful nature that always made him a very useful engine.

Every time I thought the glory that was Thomas the Tank Engine was fading, another generation of mini conductors was born and the lure of all things Thomas from the Thomas & Friends Folding Potty Seat to the Aquadoodle Thomas Toot N Doodle was once again established.

For this reason, Thomas and all of his friends are still a must have for boys around the globe and are popular with girls as well and makes this useful little engine number five on our list.  You can find Thomas in toys, puzzles, such as the HIT Kids’ Favorites 6 Puzzles Set and videos, like the Story Reader Video + with BONUS Thomas the Tank Cartridge.

NUMBER FOUR!

Spiderman

Number four on our list is a favorite superhero that has proven time and time again that you don’t need to be the biggest guy on the block to fight evil and save the day.  Perhaps that is that reason alone that has made Spiderman one of the most popular superheroes for boys and he often outsells all of the other superheroes that are on the market today.

With several movies behind his stardom and several animation series, there really is a Spiderman for all ages, whether you are young and receiving your Spider-Man & Friends – My First Spider-Man or you are a teen and waking up to the The Amazing Spider-Man Alarm Clock.

In fact, there are so many things that are Spiderman related that you can find a toy or puzzle, like the Spider-Man & Friends 25 Piece Puzzles – Set of 2, for just about anyone.  You can even find Spiderman clothes and baseball hats like the Spider-man Baseball Hat Cap that is sure to delight any boy that you are shopping for.

NUMBER THREE!

Cars

Although it may seem like I am talking about Disney’s creation, Cars, with all their wonderful toys  and memorabilia such as Disney Pixar Ramone DVD Player with Toggle-style Remote, Disney Pixar Cars Pit Race Off – Lightning McQueen – Die Cast and Mega Blocs Disney Cars – Lightning McQueen, I am actually talking about general run of the mill cars that have captured the attention of little boys (and big) for the last five decades or so.

Boys love cars and when they are asked for a top 5, they are sure to spout off a dozen little cars that they absolutely love such as Hot Wheels 40th Anniversary Die-Cast ‘70 Mustang – 1:64 Scale or the Hot Wheels 40th Anniversary ‘56 Ford F-100 and ‘56 Crown Victoria Collector Set .  Cars are a big hit and boys are always happy to add a few more to their collection of die casts but cars can go a bit farther and you can now add to any boy’s collection a number of race car tracks such as the Hot Wheels Monster Jam Crash Cage Action Set or the Carrera Go Speed Racer Racing System.

With all the things you can purchase for generic cars and the relatively low price of these little treats, there is very little surprise that they still remain an all time favorite for boys and make our list at number three.

NUMBER TWO!

LEGO

Lego, number two on our list is met with a mixed review on my part. On one hand, I love the fact that you can purchase anything, and I do mean anything, in Lego. My house has become a haven for LEGO Indiana Jones – Jungle Duel , LEGO Star Wars Ahsoka’s Starfighter and Vulture Droid , and LEGO BIONICLE® Toa Hahli.  In fact, there is so much Lego in my house that I often find it sitting just about everywhere, a piece here, a piece there and even a few in the bathtub.

Lego is a hit with children, especially boys, and I have seen children build with it for hours.  I have always wondered at the wow power behind a simple block but watch one child build his own city or LEGO Build You Own Harbor, and you soon realize that the wonder of Lego comes in the ability to create things with your own hands out of your own imagination.

With all the wonder of Lego, there is little doubt that it is a must have toy for thousands of boys and the only thing that needs to be figured out with Lego is how to avoid stepping on it.

NUMBER ONE!

Transformers

Our number one toy that all boys should have is one that I am always excited about because it has been a classic for a long time. Transformers is what I am talking about and there is a lot of excitement over the whole Transformers toy line, whether it is the TransFomers Movie Premium Series – Megatron or the TransFormers Movie Premium Series Optimus Prime.

Even without being completely cool and transformable, these toys are sure to be a number one wish list for Christmas since the new movie is now out and has been met with rave reviews.  Boys, and their parents, are flocking into theatres to see the latest Transformers movie and after the movie, they are sure to be heading back out to the buy toys such as the Transformers Movie Voyager Ironhide.

Transformers have even moved past their trademarked images such as Transformers Premium Series – Bumblebee and Transformers Decepticon Heavy Load & Drill Bit Mini-Con! and have moved into other franchises with Transformable Star Wars.

And that is where we will leave you today, with 5 top toys that are sure to brighten the eyes of any little boy who receives it.

To design a room with a theme can be a simple task if one is able to locate and purchase the necessary components to bring the room’s decor together. Fortunately if one is seeking to decorate a little girl’s bedroom in to a Hannah Montana Shrine, the possibilities are endless.

Even before entering the bedroom, a silver heart shaped door hanger stating “Back Stage pass required” announces a rock star may exist waiting beyond the door. Make your way in to the room, and a myriad of options await. Turn on the light switch with the Miley Cyrus and friends light switch cover, and a Hannah Montana Acrylic lamp on the bedside table lights up. Additional Hannah Montana electrical outlet and light switch covers are located around the room showing many options for designs on the cover faces. Focus on the bed as the center point, and two popular comforter sets make matching window treatments a no-brainer. Pick the dark blue and pink dotted bed spread (with matching sheet set) and the record shaped throw pillows will accent the motif. Pick the turquoise blue and purple bed set and the matching furniture will follow. Six different throw pillows and a fleece blanket add versatility in additional bedding comfort.

The furniture is designed for a tween’- someone defined as a preteen, between the ages of eight to twelve years old. The soft, cloth covered headboard is created for a twin bed, as are the bedding sets. The headboard design will match the turquoise and purple bedspread and skirt, with the ever present guitar and Hannah Montana’ logo ensuring a visitor will know the young girl’s passion for Hannah Montana. A matching side table with light blue flowers and guitar, bentwood tween’ chair and a bentwood directors chair add the finishing touches to the furniture. Place one of the chairs in front of the fully functioning 15” LCD TV created to imitate Hannah Montana’s live stage setup and the tween will never want to leave her room!

On the walls hang Hannah Montana signing posters- press the button on each and one will play ” If We Were A Movie” , the other “Pumpin’ Up the Party” by the one and only Hannah Montana. A life size bright blue guitar offers hanging space on the wall with four sturdy hooks. A three-piece picture ensemble hanging by a tiny guitar offers the tween a place to display 4” x 6” pictures of her pals surrounded by gold-tone art and rhinestones. Dozens of different stick on wall appliqués allow for the tween to create her own style with Hannah Montana, flowers, friends, and guitars. A clock on the wall in the shape of a guitar reminds the tween to keep her eye on the time. A black denim door organizer with Hannah Montana logo hangs on the back of the door with multiple pockets for the tweens many activities and busy life. Leave the Hannah Montana diary with Marabou Pen on the bedside table for the tween to write down her hearts secrets and the room will be complete.

As long as I have worked with children, I have noticed one universal truth; they all love bubbles.  In fact, I don’t think I have met anyone that doesn’t love bubbles, either as an adult or a child and I have many memories of both enjoying the hundreds of bubbles that have shot out of various bubble makers such as the Gazillion Bubbles Disney Cars Motorized Bubble Machine.

So in short, we all know that kids love bubbles, but did you know that bubbles help their development?  It’s true and it is actually surprising how many areas that bubbles can stimulate development.

Language, hand eye coordination and vision are all areas that are aided by bubbles floating around their head.  If we look at each one, we can see a range of things happening and, as a parent; you will definitely run out and purchase the first of bubbles, whether it comes in a bottle to blow or whether you can add it to a bath, like the Caillou Ultra Gentle Bubble Bath.

First up, hand eye coordination. This may seem like a stretch when you first think about it but even young infants will sit and point to bubbles as they float around their heads and this actually helps hand eye coordination.  Just think about an activity that will encourage this.  A Gazillion Bubbles Disney Cars Motorized Bubble Machine or Disney Little Mermaid Ariel Motorized Bubble Blower set up outside where you encourage the children to run, point and pop the fine bubbles.  Not only does this exercise encourage the development of hand eye, lining up the finger to pop the bubble, but it also encourages exercise and gross motor development.

Also, this type of play, as well as some quiet bath time with a Gazillion Bubbles Tub Town Wacky Wharf Playset, can encourage language development in children.  Children will love talking, laughing and singing songs about bubbles and there is always an opportunity to do this.

In addition to the songs, children who blow bubbles are believed to talk earlier than children who don’t since they are learning to manipulate their mouths, which only aids in speaking and pronouncing words.

Lastly, blowing bubbles really does help vision and not just in a hand eye coordination way.  Infants who watch bubbles, either with their parents or caregivers blowing them or watching them come from a Gazillion Bubbles Disney Cars Motorized Bubble Machine are able to build on their tracking ability.  The bubbles float up and down and all around and the baby’s eyes follow the movements.  As they grow, they are able to build on depth perception to pop the bubbles and of course, on their hand eye coordination.

So with all of these benefits to development, it leads one to believe that not only are bubbles fun but they are also beneficial and worth every minute of fun.