tumbles.of.fun

Summer is in full swing and for those of you who are planning family road trips this summer (whether just a couple hours down the road to Grandma's house or a cross country adventure), make sure you've got a reliable car seat for your child.

As you probably already know, infant car seats are an important purchase for new parents. But by the time your baby is one year old (or about 20 lbs or so), he or she will most likely have outgrown that car seat. Then it's time to purchase another one. But what kind do you get? And how do you avoid buying several because your child keeps outgrowing them? Well, one way is to purchase a convertible booster car seat that's built to accomodate older children.

I like Britax's Regent Car Seat. This sleek convertible booster car seat converts from a forward facing toddler seat to a booster seat and can fit children from 22 to 80 lbs. This seat should fit your child comfortably until he or she no longer needs a car seat at all.

Britax is known for making safe, reliable car seats and the Regent is no exception. It has four Shoulder slots for a closer fit and a tangle free 5 point harness with a belly pad to keep your child comfortable. A one-pull front harness adjustment makes it fast and easy to get the fit just right. Plus the fabric cover is removable and washable, which will undoubtedly come in handy while you're on the road this summer (stopping for ice cream comes to mind).

Their patented HUGS (that stands for Harness Ultra Guard) system reduces head movement and minimize injuries to the neck in the case of an impact. Britax has also included their patented Versa-Tether as an additional anchor, which provides the most security in installations. It uses factory installed automobile car seat upper anchor points, and anchors the top of the car seat, minimizing the possibility of a head injury.

So no matter where you go this summer, make sure you've got the right car seat for your child. Confused? Don't worry, there's plenty of information on our sister site, BabyCarSeats.com. Check out our helpful Car Seat Buying Guide for starters or our Booster Car Seat Safety Guide for more information on booster car seats.

Happy Trails!

Here's a great, new toy from Fisher-Price that will keep your kids busy this summer and will go easy on your wallet. It's the Give Me Five Sports Center and it's really five games in one!

This toy is perfect for sports-lovers ages 3 to 9. With this one toy kids can play basketball, baseball, football, soccer, and hockey! It's all thanks to the clever design, which layers each sport on top of each other from goal sports (hockey and soccer) to throwing sports (baseball and football) to the basketball hoop right at the top. It comes with 4 balls and a hockey stick so your kids can start playing with it as soon as it arrives.

Be prepared for all the neighborhood kids to come over to check it out, too. Good thing this toy is perfect for groups of kids playing a game or just one kid playing by him or herself.

I love that so many sports can be played in one toy. It means less storage space is required for one thing. Plus you know your kids will get lots of use out of it without getting sick of it. And who says it has to be used for sports anyway? Your kids can make up all sorts of games using rubber balls or bean bags to get the full mileage out of this cute toy. With some encouragement from mom and dad, your kids could be creating their own games and flexing their imaginations in no time (not to mention their muscles).

Parenting Magazine named the Give Me Five Sports Center one of its "Hot Toys for the Great Outdoors" in their July 2008 issue. What's even better is that this toy can be used indoors or outdoors so whether it's sunny or stormy, your kids can still enjoy it.

Take a look at Fisher-Price's other creative kid's toys at All Children's Furniture and stock up for summer!

Last week I was talking about tweens and their rooms and how bedding is a great, fairly affordable way to let them express themselves. I've still got tweens and their bedrooms on my brain this week but I'm feeling a tad less thrifty with my money.

So let's talk about a bedroom essential that comes with a bigger pricetag: a brand new bed!

Bratt Decor is a newly added line to All Children's Furniture and it has a wonderful selection of beds that would appeal to tweens and teens.

Celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie, and Halle Berry are all fans of this line and it's no wonder. Bratt Decor offers unique yet timeless furniture that is eco friendly! In fact, all of their wood supply is forested from 1.7 million new trees specifically planted for harvest in the wood and paper industry. All of their paints and stains are non toxic, too. Perhaps best of all--of course I love this part--the majority of their furniture pieces convert in some way, to extend the life of your furniture. Not only does this help your wallet, it cuts down on what we're adding to landfills!

Though I admit the name Bratt Decor threw me off at first, I fell in love with their designs right away. The Jane Twin Bed (in white or pink) is perfect for tween girls to grow into. It can be transformed from a romantic canopy bed, to an elegant four poster, and even to a simple twin bed, thanks to an optional canopy kit. Having options is perfect when choosing furniture for a tween, whose tastes could change with the days of the week.

For boys, the Dick Twin Bed strikes the perfect balance between yesterday and today. Evoking Colonial times, this bed is playful yet elegant, especially in red. Purchase the optional trundle bed to add to this bed's usefullness for sleep overs now and extra guests in the future, since this bed would look right at home in a guest room someday.

Browse Bratt Decor's beds and other furniture at All Children's Furniture.

Summer tends to be a time when kids want to reinvent themselves. Everything from what they wear to what they do to how their rooms are decorated says something about them. Tweens are especially sensitive to this as they struggle to figure out just who they are and who they want to be. Pioneer Press reported earlier this year that studies have linked materialism in tweens with self esteem. Parents have to keep this materialism under control while still allowing tweens to express themselves--and that's not easy!

One compromise can be to let your tween redecorate his or her room. A person's bedroom is a safe haven at any age, but especially during the sensitive tween years. That makes it a great place to allow your tween some (ahem) room for self expression. Thankfully new bedding can totally change the look and feel of a room without forcing you to make any major changes or spend too much money. (And unlike clothes, your child won't outgrow bedding in a few short months!)

All Children's Furniture is making it even easier on your wallet because right now we're having a Close Out Sale on all Lea Bedding. Not only is this a great deal, but these are really great bedding sets! The designs are graphic and bright and strike just the right note for tweens. Patty and Dean are my top picks for girls while I love Ike (shown) for boys (...or girls actually--my sister would have definitely picked Ike when she was a tween).

This Close Out Sale is only going to be around while supplies last! Check out all of Lea's bedding sets at All Children's Furniture.

It's important keep kids occupied, engaged, and learning over summer vacation. One great and easy way to do that is to give them a couple of puppets. Just hand them over and watch what happens. You'll be surprised just how quickly kids will name the puppets and begin plotting all sorts of stories and adventures. Your children might enjoy just talking with their new friend, or they might put together their own puppet show for you!

I like the puppets from Silly Puppets. They've got friendly, expressive faces, soft bodies, and come in a variety of skin colors including blue and orange. They remind me of the characters on Sesame Street or The Muppet Show. Start your kids off with a 14" Glove Puppet. These puppets are easy for small, inexperienced hands to manipulate. Plus they're under $20, which is a great deal.

You don't even need a puppet theater for starters. Your kids can make one with a big cardboard box or even a craft table covered with a sheet. Of course, if you do want a special place for your children's productions, All Children's Furniture offers a wide selection of theaters that vary in style and price.

Be prepared for those inevitable rainy days this summer! With just a handful of puppets your kids will be guaranteed hours of creative fun. Take a look at our wide selection of Theatrical Play products at All Children's Furniture!