Marble Painting-- Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

I'm always looking for fun things to do with my kids. I found this project idea from FamilyFun.com.
This project is a lot of fun for little ones and looks beautiful with bright colors!

You will need:
*A handful of marbles
*A sturdy (non-breakable) plate or flat-bottomed container with a lip
*A muffin tin (or small dishes) and tempera paints
*Paper
*Spoons

First, trim a sheet of paper to fit on your plate (or in your container). Fill the cups of a muffin tin with different colored tempera paints. Show your child how to gently drop a marble into the paint and roll it around with the bowl of a spoon. When the marble is well coated, transfer it by spoon to the paper-lined plate. Use a gentle wrist action to swirl the marble around until the paint wears off. Or try using two or three marbles simultaneously. To preserve the hues, use a different marble for each color. Lift the artwork from the paper plate to dry.

Baby Books for Spring

These two little books are made their way into my youngest son's Easter basket. I'm a total sucker for children's books and these are two of my current favorites.

In My Nest is one of those books that looks like a piece of art to be displayed on a child's bedroom wall. Only it's a book about a little bird and it's nest. A bluebird finger puppet peaks through on each page and adds a unique tactile element to this book.

Busy Chickens is part of the "Busy" series of animal books and is geared for little ones. It's got wonderful photos of chickens in action, great vocabulary, rhyming text, and a hint of humor (My personal favorite, "chicken zooming" cracks me up every time I see it.) I haven't read any of the other books in the "Busy" series, but I'm willing to bet they're high quality as well.

Product Tip-- Hooded Towels

After drying off your little one in our hooded towel, try flipping the towel and hood inside out and snuggle your baby in the plush velour on the back side. My boys both loved this!

Let us know what you think of our products. Email us with your comments or tips and you could be featured on our website or in our newsletter!

Science for Munchkins

Rainbow Flowers

Introduce the concept of osmosis with flowers, water, and food coloring. I found this activity on the National Geographic Little Kids page and thought it would be a perfect--if not a little messy--science experiment for preschoolers. (If you missed my Little Kids Magazine rave, read it below.) Instead of typing it out in my newsletter, I've provided a link to the directions, which are complete with pictures and notes for parents (so you can look extra smart).

Check it out here.

A Magazine for Wee Ones

National Geographic Little Kids

'Santa' got our oldest son a subscription to Little Kids Magazine and let me tell you --what a hit! His latest issue came yesterday and we were both thrilled. He loves getting mail just for him and wants to read through the whole thing right away. I love it for the content--great photos, a non-fiction emphasis, vocabulary building, pre-reading skills, logic activities, science experiments, a multicultural focus, etc. I could go on and on.... It's geared for the preschool set and just won a Parents' Choice Gold Award in 2008. The only downside? It only comes out once every two months.

Skin Deep Cosmetic Database

Ever wonder what is in your skin care products? If so, check out Skin Deep, a cosmetic database that details more than 41,000 personal care products. They list all kind of product information about makeup, sunscreen, baby care products, men's products and more. Here you can find out just how safe (or unsafe) the personal care products your family uses are. If you find that what you're using is unsafe, you can easily find a safer alternative on their website. Phew!

Go to www.cosmeticsdatabase.com for more info.

Our New Wish List Registry

Having a baby? Got a preschooler who's birthday is coming? Just love our stuff? We've got a new feature for you. We've had a number of customers ask if they can register for Plum Tot products so we've added a wish list page to our website. Interested? Simply email us with your name, contact information, and list of goodies you're wishing for. If you want to tell us who the goodies are for, we like that too. We will keep your information on file and post your name with your wish list on our website for shoppers to see. The rest of your information will remain confidential and will be used for shipping.

All that's left to do is let all your friends know and cross your fingers.