1. Electric Grill Brush - $28 - Boy, do I wish I had one of these. We’d grill outside more often. Our grill is caked with who-knows-what caked over the chrome. I brush most of it away, but a lot always remains. To the hardboiled, I know that means good barbecue flavor, but I can’t get over eating burnt meat grease.

2. Laguiole 6-Piece Steak Knife set - $42 - This is a treat for steak lovers. These French knives, which look like the famous Laguiole pocket knife look great at a table set for meat.

3. Wireless talking BBQ thermometer - $49.99 We’re not saying you really need it. I mean, does anyone barbecue that much? But maybe the dad on your list does like to bbq while watching the news and needs a reminder call if you really want to consistently hit medium rare.

4. Grilling Tool Set - Even the best of tools need to be replaced. Dads will appreciate this storage case when everything is put back the way they found it ready for next time. We can’t vouch for this set, though it looks like the one we use. You don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for a good set, but make sure the tools are more than 20″ long so dad doesn’t burn the hair off his harms when cooking dinner.

5. Weber Chimney Starter - $14 - If the dad on your list is still using lighter fluid, this is a simple tool he has to have. It uses just one page out of the newspaper to get the fire started. That means less noxious fumes and less chance you’ll be eating lighter fluid in your burger.

Astronomy and star-gazing has always been a great dad and child experience. Nothing beats lying on the grass on a warm August evening staring up in the sky and conveying the majesty and mystery of the heavens to a small child. This is a completely free activity, there are also plenty of accessories around if you’re so inclined. Here are a few of our favorites this year:

1.
Moon in my room - $39 - This light up moon hangs on your wall and shows the moon in 12 different settings, controlled by an infrared remote control. An audio CD tells more about the moon.

2.
Planisphere watch - $59.95 - This watch glows in the dark for 2-3 hours. It’s a great present for the astronomy geek who always wants to take advantage of a dark night sky. The watch shows northern constellations only.

3.
Celestron Skyscout - $199 (50% cheaper than in 2007) - The Skyscout uses GPS to ID and 8000 starts and planets and then will even tell you about via audio or text. All the astronomer has to do is point this gadget into the night sky and it actually finds constellations for you. As one reviewer on Amazon says, “This is the astronomy device I’ve been waiting for all my life.”

4. Orion Star Target Planisphere ” target=”_blank”>Orion Star Target Planishere - $11.00 - This stargazing the old fashioned way, with a map of the heavens you hold up in the night sky. You’ll also need a red flashlight to read the map in the dark.

5.
Barska Travel Telescope - 59.95 - Savings priced telescope for aspiring astronomers with 300X magnification and a 5×24 finder scope. Don’t expect the world, but this is a good intro telescope. Minor to major inconvenience is the table level telescope. It’s perfect for setting up on a picnic table and taking turns looking from there, but impossible to use at ground level.

Happy stargazing!

Guess Who Travel Game - Our kids loved this simple game that teaches kids deductive reasoning as they eliminate suspects to find the last person standing. By asking questions of their competitor like “does the person where glasses” or “have blond hair,” kids can easily play the game even before they can read. It’s an easy to pack travel game, or for playing at home. Unfortunately, the cards, however, are easily lost so it takes an adult around to keep from losing all the parts. My kids played this so many time though, they broke the pieces off the hinges before they lost any cards. $10.45 (a bit more expensive than you would think for a game built like this, but we did get our money’s worth.)

As my daughter gets closer to nine years old, I can feel the finiteness of our closeness. Soon, she’ll no longer be my little pal, in either size or intimacy. This is one of the biggest pains of being a parent. You really are only entrusted with them for a very short time before they need to break away and create their own lives. The family unit, while such an icon, is a very short-lived event.

That’s why I like this post from The Thread

I Love My Dad…

this story resonated with me. As Frank Perdue used to say, “It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken.” In the case of stay-at-home whatevers, it takes someone with endurance to handle the drudgery of baby routine punctuated by the magic moments. The following is from a stay-at-home dad’s experience as the “primary caregiver,” which he feels often leaves him the odd man out.

Does this sound like a rough day? Not necessarily, but that’s the point. Staying at home is a marathon, not a sprint. Stay-at-home moms need to string together months and years of such days. Their strength lies in their ability to store vast reserves of the energy, patience, resilience, and affection required to raise a child. Marathoners need a healthy heart, and so do stay-at-home moms.

[From Among the stay-at-home moms, a dad in disguise | csmonitor.com]

Here in San Francisco, when a man stays at home, or just shows up at all the school functions, everyone assumes he made a bundle in the internet boom and doesn’t have to work. Staying at home is looked on as a glorified form of sloth, reward for what may or may not have been a lot of hard work. For the rest of us, who have to make hard choices with our spouses on who is best positioned to work at a “real job,” it may end up feeling like a lucky reward, but it usually doesn’t start out that way on the first day.

Thomas Great Race is a fun game for small kids, especially those who love Thomas. The directions are very easy and involve moving Thomas characters up a hill based on correct answers to very simple questions.

Because the questions have to be read, this is a game that requires close involvement with an adult or with an older child.

Happily for bored parents, games are mercifully short because of the construction of the game. You push the trains up based on the numbers written on the cards drawn by players. Since just two or three correct answers send the trains down the hill, the game ends quickly

As with a lot of games like this, adults have to quickly make peace with the fact this is not a game developed for them. Our kids, too, were only willing to play the game a few times “by the rules,” and then went on to moving the pieces around under the direction of my four year old boy. The game would be stronger if there were ideas for multiple things that could be played with the game and different rules for new games.

MSRP: $22.95

Pros

1. Good introduction to how to play a game with specific rules.

2. Popular Thomas characters excite little kids.

Cons

1. No other variations on the game so may have limited lifespan.

2. Game is artificially short due to construction.

As hard as it is to believe, I actually played with a Betty Crocker Easy Bake Oven when I was about six or seven years old. I was excited to try this out the Easy Bake Oven from Hasbro with my own kids, a four year old boy and eight year old girl. There was great excitement at the house when we opened it up, which was tempered a bit when we had to first search for a 100 W lightbulb to make it work. I could remember that we were always amazed that a simple light bulb could power an oven.

The kit includes small pans to cook in and one measuring spoon. We had to assume to that the measuring spoon was the correct size for the recipes (2/3 T), but it was not. Three ingredients packages were also included for cake, cookies and frosting.

Accessory packages exist for other kitchen tools, as well as more cake mixes. There are no directions for making cakes from other recipes, rather from the collection of other Hasbro cake mixes.

My daughter, at eight, enjoyed the toy, but said she’d rather cook in a real oven. My son enjoyed eating the cookies, but was easily distracted during the baking.

While the box says for “eight and older,” this looks like a toy for slightly younger kids with supervision. My daughter has been baking since age four, so she thought that real baking was easier than using the oven. My recommendation would be to use this for kids 5-7, but with very close adult supervision. Alternately, my daughter said she’d play with this unsupervised with another friend, but would require a lot more ingredients packs, or home-made mixes.

MSRP: $24.95

Pros:

1. Exciting for young bakers

2. Good-tasting cookies and cakes

Cons:

1. Hard to keep smaller kids from wanting to stick everything inside the oven. This toy requires supervision.

2. Too few recipes and not enough to be satisfying. You’ve only just learned to use the oven by the time you make the three included recipes. There are no recipes either using regular box mixes or normal cake ingredients. This would be frustrating for young kids who either want to continue baking, or want to use the toy on a following day. You’ll have to do some investigating on line (search “easy bake oven recipes”) to find “from scratch” recipes for them to follow or pre-mix for them.

3. Making the batter for cookies and cakes required another pan, which was fine though unexpected.

While discussing baby products with a friend of mine, he stated that he found out about some great baby products only after they were relevant and needed. I find that to be true, as well, and such a pity!

The All-in-One cloth diapers from Bumkins are one of those products. Created and designed in the USA, by moms, Bumkins are free of PVC, phthalates, and vinyl. Outside, soft polyester keeps supple through the life of the diaper. Inside, you’ll find six layers of 100% luxurious flannel, creating a diapering system that is super absorbent, but also promotes good airflow.

Of course, you are probably thinking: I need a diaper service, disposables are easier, reusable diapers are not as absorbent, or you are not ready to have to deal with a diaper pad, outer layer, and pins or snaps.

Those ideas – all in the past! Bumkins are easily washed (no rinsing required for urine, minimal rinsing required for solids), they are easy to maneuver and use (not to mention end up being less expensive over the long run), and the flannel padding soaks up everything, leaving baby dry (extra inserts available for times when normal response times may be delayed, like during a trip). And being All-in-Ones, there is no assembly; baby wears them just like a disposable!

Pros:

• PVC-, phthalates-, and vinyl-free
• Durable and soft outer shell, six supple layers of flannel inside
• Easy to wash
• Easy to use
• Absorbent
• Nice, wide Velcro tabs keep diaper secure
• Made in the USA

Cons:

• Bulkier than disposable diapers
• Some may find the initial investment off putting despite long-run savings

If you are in the market for reusable diapers, Bumkins are definitely worth your time. Even if you are not, buy a few and try them out. After the “test run,” see which one is better for you and your baby. With softness both inside and out, super absorbent flannel, and secure Velcro tabs, chances are, you will stick with the reusable. And the Earth will thank you!

You have heard about it.

You have seen the letters.

You know it is bad for baby.

But what it is?

BPA stands for Bisphenol A and is found in some plastic baby bottles. Although the safety of using BPA in containers has been in question since the early 1900’s, some bottles still contain the compound. But the tide is turning; glass baby bottles have found new life and a promise of a much safer meal for your little one.

When I was first asked to review the product, I was hesitant – I am as clumsy as they come and the last thing I need is a glass bottle with soapy hands, or frankly, just a glass bottle and my normal hands.

GoBabyLife must have thought about this with their WeeGo – their heavy-duty (read: nice and thick) glass bottles are enrobed in a deliciously sleek silicone sleeve. This protects the bottle from breaking and also from knocking against each other. Best of all, the bottle and sleeve can be boiled or put in the dishwasher together – no need to put on a take off!

Pros:

• BPA free
• Phthalate free
• PVC free
• Polycarbonate free
• Easy to clean and use – the silicone sleeve makes for excellent grip for you or baby!

Cons:

• None

If you are looking for a set of nice, strong glass bottles – these are it, look no further. You will feel much better knowing that you are feeding your baby with only what was intended and nothing more.  You will also feel better knowing that they won’t go crashing to the floor!

Everyone looks for a good stroller – everyone. The stroller is a typical mainstay when travelling with a baby, at the mall or further from home. Before the stroller, and rarely in the Western World, everyone else was using slings or other devices to carry baby on the body – there is even Egyptian artwork from the age of the Pharaohs depicting use of slings!

So when did the stroller come about? The prototypes of today’s modern strollers are built on the first baby carriages and perambulators (prams) of Victorian England. Now, whether going out for a walk around the park or for slightly more extended travel plans, moving along with baby is never easier on body.

Today, I have the pleasure of reviewing the Onyx Stroller.

The first thing you will notice is the lightweight aluminum frame. I thought “I don’t know – this doesn’t seem sturdy” but it turned out I was wrong – once completely put together, the stroller feels as sturdy as other, heavier strollers.

Once baby is in the stroller, that is when the fun begins! Have a glance at the pros and cons below to get a better picture of everything the Onyx Stroller has to offer.

Pros:

• Complete with a 5-point harness designed for security
• Easy-to-adjust reclining seat assures that baby is as comfortable as possible
• Smooth maneuvering with swivel wheels
• Trouble-free locking and unlocking wheels
• Sturdy
• Really comfortable handles for the one pushing
• Holds Graco Snugride car seats
• Allowed to be taken on an airplane, as it fits in the overhead compartment

Cons:

• Canopy can sometimes insufficient if seat is reclined at certain angles

All in all, the Onyx Stroller is a safe, reliable stroller with plenty of perks – both for the little one and for the driver! It is clear to see that the designers kept baby in mind when building this stroller – and it shows. Even if only used for airline travel, the Onyx Stroller is a good investment.