Cute Girl Stuff

My daughters have every little tiny girl toy known to the Universe. I’ve noticed that beyond an occasional Barbie boot or Polly Pocket accessory, most of their toys of choice are the non-human kind. If it’s not a Pretty Pony or Littlest Pet Shop, then it’s some sort of stuffed animal (beanie baby, Webkinz, whatevs. They’re not picky).

When I found out from The Parent Blogger Network that EA was coming out with the Littlest Pet Shop games for both the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS Lite I was super-stoaked. That alone proves that I too am infatuated by all things Littlest Pet Shop. No, I’m not kidding. Those things are adorable! I would have LOVED this stuff as a kid just as I did all the little Hello Kitty loot I collected. Not much has changed. The tiny trinkets my girls love remind me of those days. It’s amazing that this many years later (I won’t give you specific years here) that this is still what many girls gravitate to. Now, toss in a little gaming action (the latest rage for girls) and you’ve got yourself a hit.

In other words, the girls love Littlest Pet Shop gone video game. We have both the DS Lite version for my 5 year old and the Wii for my 11 year old. You can never get enough, “Ah, look at how cuuuuuute!” delivered in high pitched squeal. I think it’s been really fun to see their furry little friends come to life and explore their happy little virtual homes. And I like kidding myself into thinking that maybe they won’t keep asking for a puppy for Christmas since they’ve got one on the TV. A mom can dream can’t she?

Fit Photo Contest

Do you think you've got a photo that fits? If not, then nows the time to get clickin'.




Pop over to Shutter Sisters for a chance to win the Wii and the Wii Fit!

Are Wii Fit Yet?

Nintendo threw a fit at my house last night. A Wii Fit that is.



After our little personal training session, Wii are all still smiling. I think that's a good sign.

Since I'm just a beginner I won't try to act like a pro and review it just yet. I do however plan on giving Fit a try to see what happens. God knows, I could use a little Fit in my life. I'm not an exercise kind of gal so it should be entertaining if nothing else. And I plan on sharing my progress. Did I really just say that out loud?

If you'd care to join me in having your own Fit (Wii Fit hits the stores at the end of the month) you are going to be very excited when I tell you that there is a giveaway in the making as we speak. Something along the lines of this one but with a photo twist.

More on that soon. Very soon. Wii pinky swear.


I think this post Fits nicely under the Thursdays Theme of FUN over at The Land of Ka. Sure, it may be Friday but Wii partied on Thursday so it's gotta count, right?

Monday's Gifts

The other night while sitting at a bountiful table of full glasses, incredible women and glowing candles I helped celebrate a dear friend’s birthday. While thoroughly enjoying the camaraderie and lively conversation I was reminded that love and kindness come in many shapes and sizes. This particular evening they came in the form of twinkle lights and paper flowers. And birthday cake. But it was the vision of all the delicate flowers that has lingered. Handmade by one of the talented and generous women there, each flower bloomed out of love. I covet the one I brought home as it allows me to relive an evening cloaked in the beauty of caring.



Although perhaps a little less poetic, sometimes kindness can come in the shape of palm sized pink rectangles. I hope that the very deserving children who receive the DS Lites from Nintendo will feel that they are cared for. I know it takes more than a gift but a little extra something special can be a bright spot. Although I had at first planned on sharing details and links about these kids, I thought better of it and felt that discretion felt a little more appropriate The stories that you so bravely shared were intimate enough to just hold close. But, I will tell you though that the gifts went to very good homes. Thank you all so much for participating. I wish I had a truckload of DS Lites to give away as every one of the children you shared with me IS deserving and worthy. That is for sure. So, again, thank you.

And in the spirit of all things bright and beautiful, let me ask you, what shape does your Best Shot take this week?

A Giveaway with Heart

Finally, the "story" that I mentioned in my last post. Ready?

OK. At this point, everyone knows I’m wild for Nintendo. My family loves the Wii, of course. And my girls have the DS Lite handheld numbers as well. More love. You’ve seen pictures and have heard stories already I know, but wait…there’s more.

Right before Christmas Nintendo threw my daughter and a bunch her friends an all girl, Dazzling Pokemon Spa Party. I know what you are thinking. How can Pokemon and Spa be used in the same sentence? Well, the answer to that makes perfect sense if you think about it from a clever marketing perspective. When gather a gaggle of 10-year-old girls together, hand them Pink DS Lites pre-loaded with dazzling games to play (the Pearl and the Diamond versions of Pokemon), sit them down comfortably on a big sofa and give them sparkle hair dos and ice cream pedicures well, then you‘ve got yourself a houseful of very happy (not to mention busy and beautiful) little girls. The moms we’re not overlooked either, oh no! We were encouraged to slip away to a quiet upstairs bedroom for a chair massage. Hello! Talk about needing to decompress--it was only a few days before Christmas so a little relaxation was welcomed, to say the least. The party was over the top awesome and everyone undisputedly had a blast.

The festivities of the evening were beyond generous enough but it gets better: Nintendo left us with an enormous goody bag full of party favors. And guess what I get to do with it? I get to GIVE AWAY THE GOODS!

So, here’s the deal—I’ve got a few Pink Pearl DS Lite systems and a handful and Pokemon games (some Diamond some Pearl) to give away and I would like you to help me put these gifts into the hands of kids that could really use them. In other words, this is not your ordinary random giveaway--this is more like a Random Act of Kindness Giveaway. I love the sound of that. I’m sure that there a whole lot of super kids out there that could use a little Nintendo glow to make their day! If we put our collective mother heads and hearts together we can make this giveaway count.

If you know of a child that would really benefit from some kindness, some distraction, some playtime, some generosity, some fun, please let me know. Of course, you are encouraged to post comments here and if you feel you have a worthy candidate for the Nintendo Kindness Giveaway, you can email me with the details at maypapers at yahoo dot com and put Kindness Giveaway in the subject line. The object would be to get these kids the games in time for Valentines Day because, it just seems fitting. And by all means spread the word because everyone loves a good giveaway and kindness is a good thing.

edited to add--

Thanks Jen Lemen for being an inspiration and a catalyst for kindness.

Happy Together

There's a story that goes along with my Best Shot Monday but I think I'll wait to share it until later this week. For right now, I want to enjoy it, just as it is.

What shot did you enjoy this week?

The Nintendo Glow (Holiday Gift Ideas, Round 2)

It’s no secret than in just over a year my family has gone from non-gamers to total gamers. Nintendo gamers that is. I wouldn’t have believed it if you’d have told me that last September before we hosted our Wii party. No way. I did not expect to be won over--but I have been, by not only the folks behind Nintendo but by the products! The Wii has been a welcome addition to our family since we got it last Christmas. We still have regular family bowling or golf tourneys in our living room. No kidding. Unfortunately, the Wii is hard to come by again this year so I won’t be talking it up anymore. At least for now. I did however want to preface this post with a little bit of our Nintendo story.

One Nintendo product that is readily available this season (YAY!) is the DS Lite. Love, love, love it. I had never even heard of a DS before we were gifted a few last year (one for each of our girls) and now, I cannot imagine life with out these little wonders. I know, it’s so dramatic, like when people were like “you don’t have a cell phone? How could you live without a cell phone?” Yes, I was a cell phone hold out and was probably the last person in the free world to get one. Well, although the DS might not be as crucial to everyday life as a cell phone, when it comes to having the perfect babysitter at your disposal anytime of the day or night, it’s a close second. Not to mention it’s a lot more fun than a phone and no matter how long the kids are on it, there’s no cost for additional minutes. That’s saying something. Yes, I believe in electronic babysitters for my children. At least I know that when I’m on an important business call the only sound I’ll hear are the adorable little sound effects from the DS Lites.

Though I knew my oldest daughter would be able to play the handheld game with no problem, I was a bit concerned that my youngest might struggle. But, there was no point trying to keep it from her as anyone who has 2 kids knows, what the older one has, the younger one wants, no matter what it is. So for those first few months she just had fun scratching notes and sending them to her sister. Happy faces, hearts and the like. I know, how cool is it that you can play back and forth between 2 DSs?

And then we found Cooking Mama (thanks to a helpful gal at the EB Games)! I shop at game stores now—huh? It ended up being a perfect game for her even at the ripe age of 3 ½ and she’s still loving it a year later. And her sister does too.

What was not available back then was a fab game for the younger set but alas! Now there is Smart Girl's Playhouse which is a delightful game for the DS that really is meant for young ones. We just got it and she really enjoys it. They also offer Smart Boy's Gameroom for the boys in your life. The graphics are adorable and the variety of games is ample and perfectly age appropriate for little gamers-- challenging enough to keep busy minds occupied and simple enough to keep busy hands well, busy. Since many of you have little choice but to get the younger sibling a DS, now you know there is a game that is suitable for the age.

As far as the older kids go, well, I only have girls so I’m not sure what a favorite pick for the boys would be but for my 10-year old daughter it’s got to be Nintendogs, hands, er, paws down. Even I think it’s totally cool. There is a lot of reading involved, just so you know and although there are features that can be used (and figured out) without reading, a non reading gamer will need some help with it. It even takes the feature of playing between tow sets to a whole new level. Once we were at the post office waiting for over and hour for our Passports and my kids and 2 little boys who were also waiting played Nintendogs between each other (they had it too). They had a doggie playdate, traded dogs, and had a regular dog party while passing the time. That’s what I mean when I say babysitter.

So, what’s on the Christmas List this year? Mario Party DS and Cooking Mama 2 (dinner with friends) and I know those are 2 gifts that are going give back all year long!

Thank you, you cute little DS Lites. I love you.

Wii Made it to Oprah

Have you read the latest Oprah from cover to cover yet? Did you see Wii, er, me?




OK, so it might not be quite as glamorous as it seems but being in Oprah Mag is being in Oprah Mag any which way you look at it. At least that's the way I choose to look at it. And this is actually the second time. Yep. I had a letter to the editor published once. Boy, I've sure got some claims to fame now, don't I? Look out world. Not just anyone can say they've played the Nintendo Wii in Oprah. Ahem.